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Please stop asking me to use the app

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81–90 of 265 posts

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#81
post #71
post #41

The app doesn't have ad blockers and they can spam notifications, hence the push. Also I'm sure somewhere "mobile users" is a metric in a company valuation equation. Pinterest is the worst offender of a mobile app that doesn't need to exist since the web counterpart can do 100% of the job. This being a product that leveraged JavaScript in browser bookmarks to get "pins" without an app or extension. When Reddit stoppe…

>When Reddit stopped allowing non-email-verified signups and conveniently locked everyone out who did have a non-email legacy account, the writing was on the wall. While I haven't verified it, I recently read a post that they didn't stop allowing email-less account creation, they did add a dark pattern around it. I believe it was someone like an email prompt and next button, but allowing the email field to remain emp…

You got it. Emails are still optional, but the sign up flow plays coy and makes you think it’s required. You can leave the email field blank if you’d like.

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#82
post #57
post #39

At this point I'm genuinely wondering if they're about to Digg themselves into a amusingly-recursive grave. All it would take is one great, open forum site to absorb the refugees from a terrible management mistep, and they're toast. Just like Digg.

The funny thing is that Reddit completely inadvertently killed one of the possible heirs in Voat. That site had potential to steal the traditional Reddit audience due to Reddit's mismanagement. However Reddit's crackdown on hate on the site caused a big exodus of problem users to Voat. The end result is that Voat is now a vile alt-right wasteland that presents no threat of stealing Reddit's mainstream audience.

Agreed. When Reddit first started treating their mods with contempt, I swore off the place. I spent a fair while on Voat at that point and it was crude at times but there was still a lot of good content. I gave up on it after a while because toxic Reddit refugees turned it into such a cesspool.

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#83

I'm thankful for their new design, actually. After many years of trying, I have now managed to successfully kick my Reddit habit completely and have gained precious hours in my day.

Same here, although I left because of the massive increase in censorship and gentrification right before the big redesign.

I actually switched to Hackernews and forced myself to read at least two paragraphs of any article before I read the comments. I’ve learned so much more from this website and wasted so much less time. I’ve went from several hours a day on reddit to about 30 minutes on HN on various times on the toilet everyday.

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#84
post #48

It's kind of fascinating that seems like there is some kind of force that drives popular web sites to eventually self-sabotage themselves out of existence. Reddit seems to be having a good go at it now. I sort of get how it happens but I can't quite understand how the level of stupidity required by management is achieved in practice to actually do it.

Create -> Monetize -> Expand -> Exploit -> Destroy

It's a common commercial lifecycle for all sorts of things. You make a new thing. You find a way to make money from the thing. You expand your market for the thing by filling a need and treating your customers well. At some point you want to cash out, and start burning your userbase to make extra money. Eventually this destroys the whole thing.

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#85
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've had to start disabling notifications on just about everything due similar tactics across the app-o-system. Facebook spam was getting nuts; phone vibrating at 2AM because somebody I haven't had contact with in years has updated a picture? Google has even been getting really bad with TV show episode availability updates for shows I have never watched or searched for? Or is that some other app? I think the shark is…

If you are on iOS, I recommend scheduling Do Not Disturb at night.

Android also has very flexible Do Not Disturb settings.

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#86
post #62

Reddit's recent tactics have incidentally topped /r/assholedesign lately, such as using a fake loading screen for the app-pushing ( https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/comments/8k10c7/not_g... ), a Facebook-esque obfuscation of ad-posts in the app ( https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/comments/85liof/how_r... ), and mobile notifications for subreddits you don't follow ( https://www.reddit.com/r/assholedesign/co…

I've had to start disabling notifications on just about everything due similar tactics across the app-o-system. Facebook spam was getting nuts; phone vibrating at 2AM because somebody I haven't had contact with in years has updated a picture? Google has even been getting really bad with TV show episode availability updates for shows I have never watched or searched for? Or is that some other app? I think the shark is…

[deleted]

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#87
post #57
post #39

At this point I'm genuinely wondering if they're about to Digg themselves into a amusingly-recursive grave. All it would take is one great, open forum site to absorb the refugees from a terrible management mistep, and they're toast. Just like Digg.

The funny thing is that Reddit completely inadvertently killed one of the possible heirs in Voat. That site had potential to steal the traditional Reddit audience due to Reddit's mismanagement. However Reddit's crackdown on hate on the site caused a big exodus of problem users to Voat. The end result is that Voat is now a vile alt-right wasteland that presents no threat of stealing Reddit's mainstream audience.

That's like how some online games don't entirely ban cheat users but only match them with other cheaters, giving them a taste of their own medicine. There's a tipping point in the evolution of communities. When there are too many acting in an anti-social manner such that fun or business is impaired, people quit. If not addressed the community permanently declines.

There's a term of art in philosophy called universalizability (Kant). Basically, what would happen if everyone followed a principle or strategy. Locke spoke of the social contract - civilization is not compatible with unlimited individual freedom.

Reddit already has an interesting user sorting and self-selection process: sub-reddits. People can more easily congregate around common interests. They don't even have to buy a domain, learn HTML, or pay hosting bills. Which would seem to reduce flame wars. But this can result in groupthink and safe spaces for extreme views.

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#88
post #23

And please go back to the old reddit, before the redesign. I can't stand it.

The redesign completely kills my 12-inch MacBook by freezing Safari’s UI for a good second or two while it’s loading all that shit JavaScript. I can load actual apps faster than their content-focused website.

Same. I’m having similar although not nearly as bad issues with the new gmail.

However reddit is so bad that unless they improve the performance I’ll likely just stop using it

Re: Please stop asking me to use the app

#90
post #57
post #39

At this point I'm genuinely wondering if they're about to Digg themselves into a amusingly-recursive grave. All it would take is one great, open forum site to absorb the refugees from a terrible management mistep, and they're toast. Just like Digg.

The funny thing is that Reddit completely inadvertently killed one of the possible heirs in Voat. That site had potential to steal the traditional Reddit audience due to Reddit's mismanagement. However Reddit's crackdown on hate on the site caused a big exodus of problem users to Voat. The end result is that Voat is now a vile alt-right wasteland that presents no threat of stealing Reddit's mainstream audience.

Oh wow. Last time I looked at voat was when gamergate was in full swing and voat had just started up. Most of the content was fairly similar to reddit, maybe with a slight alt-right bent.

Looking at the front page now, it's just turned into 4chan.

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