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Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

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Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#231

Post by OkGoDoIt »

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".

Yelp started doing this years ago. They slowly cut access to their mobile site that used to work perfectly well. Sure I could install the app, but the obvious disrespect to the user pretending that the mobile site didn’t work perfectly well and that you have to install the app was so frustrating that I just stopped using Yelp altogether. And that’s saying something, seeing as I own a local theater venue and refusing to engage with Yelp hurts be more than it hurts them. But screw it, I hate being bullied by these platforms.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#232

Post by piperswe »

ahahahahah wrote: post #230
predictabl3 wrote: post #60

I am absolutely blown away by the number of subs that have gone private and shocked at some napkin math of how many total subscribers are affected. Further, the Discord is well, finally getting a bit too riled up to hear coherently, but is easily the largest live, wholesome gathering of people I've participated in a live event with. And on top of that, numerous people are signing up for Matrix and joining the bridged…

> I am absolutely blown away by the number of subs that have gone private really?!?!? I find that surprising given that something like Honestly, these mods only have the power to do this because other people don't care enough to deal with the bullshit that mods have to. While reddit needs mods, it doesn't necessarily need these mods.

It may only be <1%, but many, many subreddits are barren, unmoderated, entirely inactive wastelands. I would assume that if you only consider subreddits with actual content being regularly posted, the percentage is significantly higher.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#234

Post by RobotToaster »

Implicated wrote: post #163
eastbound wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Worse than the conversion rate, Google will most certainly deindex the Reddit pages if they are not available as webpages. But surely Reddit has already calculated that “[search query] + Reddit” is traffic they don’t care about?

I’d venture to bet that they respond to google with a different version of the page, without the pop up.

Isn't that also something Google delists pages for?

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#235

Post by Mistletoe »

benjaminwootton wrote: post #188

Why is it so important for Reddit to get you on the app? A daily active user is the same, you can still serve apps, still control your UX and still track. I’m sure they lose more users by throwing up the banner to people who can’t be bothered or don’t want to download the app.

If you’ve ever had the misfortune of using the app you would get it. You are instantly under their control and they show you what they want to show you and what they are paid to show you. I’ve tried many times and it is always a miserable experience and a quick uninstall.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#236

Post by hnlmorg »

kredd wrote: post #120
GuardianCaveman wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I’d be interested to see some actual data on this

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#237

Post by detrites »

ahahahahah wrote: post #230
predictabl3 wrote: post #60

I am absolutely blown away by the number of subs that have gone private and shocked at some napkin math of how many total subscribers are affected. Further, the Discord is well, finally getting a bit too riled up to hear coherently, but is easily the largest live, wholesome gathering of people I've participated in a live event with. And on top of that, numerous people are signing up for Matrix and joining the bridged…

> I am absolutely blown away by the number of subs that have gone private really?!?!? I find that surprising given that something like Honestly, these mods only have the power to do this because other people don't care enough to deal with the bullshit that mods have to. While reddit needs mods, it doesn't necessarily need these mods.

Counting subreddits is meaningless as a stock percentage. For example, there are millions of subreddits, but only 150k or so even have any activity at all. A small percentage of those are responsible for most activity.

The number of users impacted by the (very popular) subs that have gone dark looks in the region of almost... everyone.

What will reddit look like without r/pics? Without r/funny? Without r/Music, t/aww, r/todayilearned, r/explainlikeimfive, r/DIY? Etc.

Less than 1% of all subs are going down, but it's substantially comprised of subs that matter the most, appeal to the largest number of users and literally have characterised the site as a whole for over a decade.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#238

Post by timeon »

edgyquant wrote: post #71
baby wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I prefer websites and the option to open tabs for later browsing The number of times I lost a post because when I switched app or didn’t use my phone for a while reddit would just reset to the home page… I think they really didn’t realize how much the shitty UX would enrage people against them.

Or I accidentally bump the top of screen while trying to upvote and it brings me to the top of the thread

Or clicking on some post. Nothing happening. Trying to click again, but new screen appears from original click, so your second attempt lands on some new link.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#239

Post by greiskul »

zouhair wrote: post #171
donny2018 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is Silicon Valley (the show) level comical.

That was a documentary.

Anyone that I know that has worked in Big tech in the past decade knows that. There has nothing that managed to capture the slice of life absurdity that Big Tech can be at some times than that show.

Re: Did Reddit just destroy mobile browser access?

#240

Post by ymolodtsov »

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…

There are a bunch of new players in the space. Bluesky and Nostr. BeReal was very mainstream at one point.

It is just a very tough business.

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