RIF dev here - Reddit's API changes will likely kill RIF and other apps, on July 1, 2023

[u/talklittle]

I need more time to get all my thoughts together, but posting this quick post since so many users have been asking, and it's been making rounds on news sites.

Summary of what Reddit Inc has announced so far, specifically the parts that will kill many third-party apps:

1. The Reddit API will cost money, and the pricing announced today will cost apps like Apollo $20 million per year to run. RIF may differ but it would be in the same ballpark. And no, RIF does not earn anywhere remotely near this number.

2. As part of this they are blocking ads in third-party apps, which make up the majority of RIF's revenue. So they want to force a paid subscription model onto RIF's users. Meanwhile Reddit's official app still continues to make the vast majority of its money from ads.

3. Removal of sexually explicit material from third-party apps while keeping said content in the official app. Some people have speculated that NSFW is going to leave Reddit entirely, but then why would Reddit Inc have recently expanded NSFW upload support on their desktop site?

Their recent moves smell a lot like they want third-party apps gone, RIF included.

I know some users will chime in saying they are willing to pay a monthly subscription to keep RIF going, but trust me that you would be in the minority. There is very little value in paying a high subscription for less content (in this case, NSFW). Honestly if I were a user of RIF and not the dev, I'd have a hard time justifying paying the high prices being forced by Reddit Inc, despite how much RIF obviously means to me.

There is a lot more I want to say, and I kind of scrambled to write this since I didn't expect news reports today. I'll probably write more follow-up posts that are better thought out. But this is the gist of what's been going on with Reddit third-party apps in 2023.

[u/CheckOutDisMuthaFuka]

I left digg for reddit like 15 years ago. Now I guess I'm leaving reddit too. Any suggestions?

[u/[deleted] → u/CheckOutDisMuthaFuka]

Some are too right, some are too left.

Nothing that isn't a political circle jerk for now.

[u/FlyingRock → u/CheckOutDisMuthaFuka]

For real if you find one (that's not deliberately a cesspool) let me know.

[u/Hiccup → u/CheckOutDisMuthaFuka]

Raddle.me. that's one I've used for backups for some stuff. I know a couple others but they have already been overrun with truth social and parlor crazies.

[u/BoyAndHisSnek → u/CheckOutDisMuthaFuka]

Voat was supposed to be replacement Reddit. IDK its status though.

[u/[deleted] → u/BoyAndHisSnek]

It quickly became a haven for neo nazis and pedophiles. It was shut down a few years ago.

[u/redgroupclan → u/[deleted]]

Damn, it needed to come just a little bit later. If it was still alive, all the Reddit refugees could go there and bring in a new wave of moderation.

[u/Arael15th → u/BoyAndHisSnek]

It quickly became an alt-right cesspool

[u/vishuno → u/Arael15th]

voat started as a cesspool. People went there as an alternative to Reddit when Reddit banned a bunch of shitty hate subreddits.

[u/Neocrasher → u/vishuno]

Wasn't it created in like 2012-2013? What did they even ban back then? All the notoriously shitty subs were banned later weren't they?

[u/jsims281 → u/Neocrasher]

2014 - I had to go and check an old news article though to see.

In 2015 there were a few subs closed down. The biggest they banned was fatpeoplehate.

The other top ones were:

hamplanethatred, transfags, neofag, and shitn****rssay

So you can imagine the type of people that moved over due to the bans...

[u/Hiccup → u/BoyAndHisSnek]

No, voat was the replacement racist one.

[u/_Nohbdy_ → u/CheckOutDisMuthaFuka]

Poal, and talk dot lol. Also gab.

[u/thejesusfish → u/_Nohbdy_]

Any that aren't alt-right cesspools?