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Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

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Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#111

Post by marssaxman »

weard_beard wrote: post #53
john-n wrote: post #8

I was part of this test - I've refused to install the app for years (I prefer websites and the option to open tabs for later browsing). It was extremely annoying for a site I've used for 12+ years to treat me like that. It did massively cut my usage of Reddit (which I would consider to be quite high), I primarily access it from my phone and I all but stopped using it for the week or so I was in the "experiment".

This is how I discovered old.reddit.com still works. And it has none of the broken javascript or A/B app pushing code in it.

old.reddit.com is the only reason I haven't given the place up. When it goes, so will I.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#112

Post by FormerBandmate »

p-e-w wrote: post #82
MattGaiser wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> they converted it to a subreddit with 1.5k subscribers. That definitely belongs in a textbook on absurd corporate decisions. I thought you must have been exaggerating somewhere, but nope, that is exactly how it went. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubsmash https://old.reddit.com/r/dubsmash/

It's only absurd if you misunderstand the true intention. They didn't acquire Dubsmash to profit from its technology and users. They acquired Dubsmash to shut it down. Today's social media corporations are so fat with (venture) capital that they can, and do, spend that kind of money just to keep any potential competitors locked out. TikTok, the last social network that became truly big, was launched in 2016, seven ye…

Acquihires are definitely a thing but the way they talked about it at the time it was a major acquisition to diversify Reddit and pivot it to video. It even made the Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/reddit-snaps-up-dubsmash-to-exp...

Dubsmash had a sizable userbase with almost no overlap with Reddit's and their conversion rate appears to be less than 0.01%

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#114

Post by AmplySmartly »

MattGaiser wrote: post #61
FormerBandmate wrote: post #36

They are desperately trying to be TikTok. It will not work and has no chance of working. Look at their hilariously terrible acquisition of Dubsmash for $50 million (they converted it to a subreddit with 1.5k subscribers when they had 200 million users at their peak and touted having 25% of black teens in their acquisition press release. Every post is people saying the Reddit app sucks and asking where Dubsmash went)

> they converted it to a subreddit with 1.5k subscribers. That definitely belongs in a textbook on absurd corporate decisions. I thought you must have been exaggerating somewhere, but nope, that is exactly how it went. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubsmash https://old.reddit.com/r/dubsmash/

Oh so that’s how Reddit acquired the video suite. It sucked so much it drove me to third party apps and now they’re killing them too. Amazing.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#115

Post by x3874 »

tomohelix wrote: post #15

It was my experience that Reddit stopped caring about its users a long time ago. I am convinced that Reddit unofficial motto is: "Moderators own the place they operate and are free to do whatever they want with it". So it isn't a surprise that the admins think they can do whatever they want with the entire site. For a less popular opinion, I don't sympathize at all with the reddit moderators who are up in arms about…

Isn't it like this at most places? Even here, where mob rule (the introverted ones hiding behind their downvote ability) oppresses contrarians?

You know, the best choice is not to do general socializing via web. Specialized discussions okay. Spend your leisure time at a pub or similar places with the regulars. And bring a book in case you don't anyone meet up that day. So much more fun and relaxing than trying to argue with strangers or wrestling with mods.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#116

Post by lannisterstark »

x3874 wrote: post #102
jletienne wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

man I did this with facebook and it obliterated my social connections. it doesn’t make sense from a micro perspective, game theory sucks man i installed instagram in december and it’s so much easier to make friends. I feel in touch with what’s going on in the community

Are / were they really 'friends' though if doing so obliterated your connections? Most people tend to misclassify being friends with being open & friendly with another.

Yes. Putting people through hoops and then going "were we really friends if you didn't do it for me, huh, HUUUUH?" is a "I'm the main character" mindset.

A friend recently deleted all his apps and he asks me I just email him if I want to talk. I'm just not gonna do that. I barely remember to email my work people.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#117

Post by 1270018080 »

hapticmonkey wrote: post #96
skinkestek wrote: post #83

I assume this comes in addition to "reminding" me multiple times a day, sometimes when I click a link, sometimes seemingly on a timer loop while I am just reading, that they have an app? Yes. I tried the app. The app is better not because it is good but because they deliberately break the web. Also the app seems to eat battery and I am planning on charging my new iPhone 14 twice a day to use it or jump through hoops…

There's a free safari extension for iOS that blocks the "use our app" popup on reddit mobile site. It's sad that such a thing even needs to exist.

What is it called?

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#119

Post by no_wizard »

jletienne wrote: post #29
_zzaw wrote: post #3

There is only one appropriate, effective response to disrespect, and that is to not reward the offending party. I made it a matter of principle to not use the Reddit app. Even if they removed all ads and made it an acceptable user experience, I'll never use the app as long as they are harassing me about it. It's simple. Don't reward bad behavior. Sometimes, denying obnoxious people something they want means denying y…

man I did this with facebook and it obliterated my social connections. it doesn’t make sense from a micro perspective, game theory sucks man i installed instagram in december and it’s so much easier to make friends. I feel in touch with what’s going on in the community

Are you making new friends or connecting with old ones?

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#120

Post by kredd »

GuardianCaveman wrote: post #73
sdwr wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I never wanted to use the reddit app. Must have caved and installed it one day. I use it now, and it doesnt feel different from the site. Say what you want about HN, but at least the contrarians bring out opposing views. The bigger reddit subs have a mob mentality that use to annoy me, and now scares me. People are itching for a chance to hate, and pile on from every angle. It's childish, naive, and most of all vindi…

The point isn't that it's different or the same, the point is that the very definition of the site is that all content and moderation pretty much is created by users, and that the users hate being forced to install yet another app when it works fine for years as a mobile webpage. There was/is a spirit to reddit and it's being destroyed and if you love something and someone takes steps to change the thing you love int…

I agree with the poster above, since at this year most of people are accustomed to install an app to interact with a website. It’s not where we wanted the web to be, but also it’s a minority that find it annoying.
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