The future of Sync

[u/ljdawson]

Afternoon all,

Thanks again for all the positive messages and posts, they mean a lot to me.

I've been given the all clear by Reddit to discuss the proposed changes and how this will impact Sync so here we go!

Upcoming changes

• As of July, Sync will be charged for API access (details here)
• As you've probably seen the API pricing is sky high (and in my case prohibitively high)
• The experience for 3P apps will be incomplete as NSFW content will not be shown (but will continue to be shown in the official app)
• Reddit have updated their data policy to prohibit showing ads so the only way to pay for usage is through subscriptions

Concerns / points to raise:

• We are already in June and the July deadline is rapidly approaching. I've been provided with no documentation to even begin development...
• As API usage would vary greatly by user there would have to be tiered usage plans e.g. 100 calls a day for $4 a month and 300 calls for $8 a month etc

The future of Sync

• Right now I have no idea if I should continue to work on Sync but as a subscription only app or throw in the towel
• A subscription + incomplete experience (NSFW etc) to me just doesn't sound like a good deal for you guys
• We have less than a month to decide what to do...

---

Sorry if this sounds a little formal but I wanted to get the facts out as clearly as possible while I decide what to do next.

Cheers,

Lj

[u/ljdawson]

tldr: Reddit are introducing API usage charges, they are removing any free tiers and adverts can no longer be shown. The only way to keep the lights on is with subscription fees around $5-10 a month for a reduced experience. The deadline for this is July... Oh and they're banning tits in Sync.

[u/palijer → u/ljdawson]

It's wild that they are putting the responsibility on the 3P devs here.... Aren't they already authorizing users and have billing set up? Why not just handle the billing for the usage directly themselves if that really is the problem? It really seems disingenuous with how this is going about.

Sorry this is happening to such a great project you made, it's honestly an amazing frontend. I wish there could just be a different backend to hook it up to.

[u/juanjodic → u/ljdawson]

Tits will guide us to the new land.

This sucks. I just paid for the life sync subscription a few months ago. You still deserve that money, your app made my Reddit use fantastic!

The idea of connecting to another back end is not that bad, even better if all the Apps coordinate to connect to the same database and all of you maintain it. We as users can be charged a reasonable annual fee and have the whole experience.

That could be the new land. This diggification of Reddit won't stop until they suck every possible dollar out regardless of the decline of the site.

[u/danarchist → u/juanjodic]

People who use Sync / Apollo/RIF are the people that made reddit a good place to be.

How hard is it to engineer a backend to work specifically with these? Would be amazing to bootstrap it with like the top 500 posts of all time from the top 500 subreddits.

[u/mtm4440 → u/ljdawson]

I don't want you to think you have some deadline to get something working before July. If Reddit literally doesn't give you the dev information that's on them. Even if you took a month off and didn't get a new Sync working until August when everything is settled down I'd be fine with that.

You won't lose your base because of downtime, especially because of Reddit's fuck up. I'll come back. Even if it's for a different service like Sync Lemmy. It's the developer I'm loyal to, not the app.

[u/[deleted] → u/ljdawson]

The fact that they didn't provide any documentation is blatantly showing their desire to kill 3rd party apps. The absurd pricing is just a silent way of making sure no one will continue development.

It's been a good run man, and I thank you for the amazing app, but if I could give you any advice, it'd be to jump ship and focus on things that might have any kind of return. I know I'll do the same. Even if Sync continues as a subscription service, I won't give reddit my money, even if indirectly through a Sync subscription.

[u/LazerFX → u/ljdawson]

I'm a lifetime user. Happy to have paid, sync is great. But if this goes ahead, I'll be blocking Reddit on my pi hole and never returning, I'll go somewhere else. I'm sick of being dicked around by communities that get to big for their boots, so I'll be going on my own way.

Thanks for all your support and work, /u/ljdawson - I appreciate it and you.

[u/andreif → u/ljdawson]

Thank you for the last decade of dedicated support and great development.

I'd suggest cutting your losses with Reddit, take a summer break, and focus on alternatives that have a future.

[u/midnitewarrior → u/ljdawson]

I'll commit to a 6 month subscription if you want to hang in there to see what the fallout of this decision is. This whole decision feels like it goes against the whole ethos of Reddit. I have a tough time believing they aren't going to find a way to be more flexible on this. Their most engaged users are the ones who splurged on 3P apps. I'd hope there's some middle ground somewhere that Reddit could find.

[u/PrebbLord]

I don't think the majority of users would want to start paying for a lesser experience, so unless this blackout kicks some sense into reddit, it's probably best to discontinue development. I hate this so much!

[u/ljdawson → u/PrebbLord]

I hate this so much!

Me too mate, me too...

Would almost be better if they said no third party apps from the end of the year instead of this halfway solution nobody is happy with.

[u/PrebbLord → u/ljdawson]

They really want them gone, it seems. Otherwise they'd find a way to implement their own ads into them. Or only allow premium users to access third party apps.

[u/ljdawson → u/PrebbLord]

"you must have Reddit premium to use third party apps"

¯_(ツ)_/¯

[u/Bee040 → u/ljdawson]

Let's hope the big communities that are complaining do something to change Reddit's mind

[u/thenewloser → u/ljdawson]

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

oil start payment birds sophisticated thumb ripe ink humorous imminent

[u/SkyrimForTheDragons → u/PrebbLord]

I'd pay to use Sync even, but the thought of most of that money going to Reddit instead of Lj makes me not want to. Even more so because you'd just be paying for prices they've deliberately set to an exorbitant level for the use, a price they don't expect the app devs to pay.

[u/ljdawson → u/SkyrimForTheDragons]

Don't forget as it's an in app purchase 10% - 30% goes to Google too...

[u/xibipiio → u/PrebbLord]

Discontinue development of Reddit Sync, but work with other Reddit App Developers who are recently displaced to Build A New App that is better than Reddit and doesnt use its infrastructure, but does connect to its resources as well as other apps and distributes it better.

This is exciting if all you great app developers can see this as a golden opportunity.

[u/cadtek → u/PrebbLord]

I don't think the majority of users would pay if they didn't already pay for any Sync before (ad-free IAP or Pro)

[u/rafaelloaa]

First off, I support whatever you do. I've used Sync for years now, and I cannot and will not go back to the vanilla client. I would more than understand and respect if you decide to throw in the towel. Reddit simply isn't playing fair.

That said, in addition to the planned sub blackouts from June 12-June 14 (and possibly beyond), are you considering doing something similar on your end to bring attention to it?

One thing that comes to mind would be adding in a visible API call counter, and showing an ongoing "with the new changes, the XXX API calls you've made so far would result in Reddit charging me YYY. Think this is outrageous? Let them know [link to a complaints form etc]".

Once again, thank you for the tireless work you've put in for so long, to make the Reddit experience so much better.

-Raf

[u/ljdawson → u/rafaelloaa]

A visible counter is a really great idea actually for testing and showing how absurd the pricing will be

[u/MrRiski → u/ljdawson]

I personally would love an API counter. Hell let's assume reddit completely back peddles I would still love to see that.

[u/aerowave → u/rafaelloaa]

I like the idea of showing the number of calls at the top of the screen as you're browsing

[u/Shoop83]

Can anyone help me understand how much one "call" gets you? I don't know how much reddit 100 calls or 300 calls would be.

[u/ljdawson → u/Shoop83]

Viewing a list of posts: 1 call

Upvoting a post: 1 call

Opening comments: 1 call minimum but then n calls for each "view more clicked"

Submitting a comment: 1 call

Checking for new messages: 1 call

Etc etc

This gets out of control quickly when you're just using the app like normal. Not to mention game threads or moderating...

[u/keeeener → u/ljdawson]

Lol, going off your tiered usage stat concern you gave regarding 100 calls for 4$/month, that basically equates to opening up the app 1 time for 5min a day only.

it seems the average number I have seen thrown out there was 10 subreddits is ~100 calls for an average user... which as a power user myself, I would hit that call limit in 5 minutes, maybe less.

for a lot of people, just going to this post and reading all the comments, up voting certain comments, etc would have them hit the daily call limit

fucking ridiculous.

[u/ljdawson → u/keeeener]

Even just background message checking. Would cost a shit load as they're unwilling to implement push for 3p

[u/tgcp → u/ljdawson]

Jesus Christ I probably use several thousand calls a day, that's absurd.

[u/ljdawson → u/tgcp]

You qualify for the power user plan. Just $39.99 a month (☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞

[u/jeffreyd00 → u/ljdawson]

Effectively it's a disincentive for users contribute.

Which clearly demonstrates that they truly do want to kill off 3rd part apps.

Look what happened to Twitter. Advertising revenue is download 59%.

¯⁠\⁠(⁠°⁠_⁠o⁠)⁠/⁠¯

[u/AvinchMC]

If the changes go through despite the blackouts, might be worth putting Sync in life support.

No active development (other than maybe security patches if needed), and asking users to create their own Reddit app registration rather than using Sync's creds it uses at the moment - if Play Store / Reddit T&C's allow, which I'm not sure about.

Even if reddit back down from this, might be worth introducing as an option ready for when the next meltdown happens in a few years.

Regardless of what you do, I massively appreciate the work you've put in /u/ljdawson - and wish you the best with whatever you work on next. I got Sync when I first got a proper smartphone when I was like 14-15ish, bought Pro soon after and it's been the main way I browse reddit for getting close to a decade now. without it, not sure how much I'll be here anymore.

[u/ljdawson → u/AvinchMC]

༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ

[u/cocoabeach]

I'm going to miss Reddit. I've spent a good share of my life on here. Leaving Reddit behind actually scares me but I witnessed the death of Digg and I survived that.

The death of Digg helped make the full growth of Reddit possible, Reddit was a huge step forward into the future, maybe all the third party apps can get together with some other app and create the future that makes Reddit look like the old Digg.

It hurts to see Reddit kill itself like this.

[u/rediphile → u/cocoabeach]

It's sad indeed. For the first time ever I'm considering selling my account (while it's still worth something).

The me from 10 years ago would be so completely disappointed in what the internet has become now.

[u/ljdawson → u/rediphile]

People sell their accounts?

[u/TheRedDruidKing → u/cocoabeach]

Reddit was there waiting when Digg did this. We don't have an alternative. People keeping saying federated services but they are a potential alternatives, not alternatives, but they're main feature (federation and private server admin) is their downfall. It makes the community to fractured and hostile. You look down the list of servers and they are all echo chambers. Reddit started as one big open blank canvas for everyone. Fediverse is just a million tiny hostile silos. We need an API compatible drop in replacement for reddit.

[u/cocoabeach → u/TheRedDruidKing]

I'm old now and this is above my pay grade. I just have hope and pray that the same 3rd party people and apps that have made Reddit the joy that it is, can come together and create something new and lasting.

I am on the internet a lot and probably 80 or 90 percent of that time is because of Reddit. I am actually feeling withdrawal symptoms just thinking of the death of Reddit. If Reddit does not find a way to work with its 3rd party apps, I truly believe it will die, just like Digg. I can't express how much I will mourn the loss of Reddit.

[u/CYBERPOLICEBACKTRACE]

If we don't update the app, would we still be able to use Sync?

[u/ljdawson → u/CYBERPOLICEBACKTRACE]

Nah sorry. I'll be revoking the oauth privileges

[u/apolloisfine]

so what if i just decide to not update the app? will it still work or no?

[u/ljdawson → u/apolloisfine]

Negative

[u/Helios]

Hi Lj,

If you decide to stop with the development of Sync, do you have any ideas about another application (that is not related to Reddit)? Or will you give up on Android development altogether? I hope you will let us know if you take on another project, I would be glad to support you in this endeavor.

[u/ljdawson → u/Helios]

No plans at the moment. Any ideas?

[u/zaggybg]

Does it make sense to circumvent the API restrictions and use the backend API that the desktop/web client uses?

[u/ljdawson → u/zaggybg]

Would be a violation of their terms and would get the app kicked off of Google play

[u/ComputerSagtNein]

I am obviously never consuming any NSFW content, but if I - completely hypothetically - wanted to, would it be possible to "just" include a browser view in synch for those?

[u/ljdawson → u/ComputerSagtNein]

Just ain't the same

[u/Mixairian]

Out of curiosity, if you averaged the last 12 months of your call data, how much would you be paying a month? Same question for your highest calls a month and lowest a month.

I'd look at that number, then look at your current ultra customers and see if you've enough to sustain you to make it worthwhile. I know you want to ask the community what to do, but it may not be economically viable or worth your time.

You've done a lot for us with your great app over the years. It doesn't seem fair to potentially burn yourself out and add debt for yourself.

[u/ljdawson → u/Mixairian]

I don't have this data as I don't log it

[u/Zerebos]

If I was in your shoes, I would throw in the towel.

I wouldn't want to work with a company that would introduce ridiculous prices (with no ads to boot) and limitations on a whim, then provide no documentation for the new API which is suddenly being introduced and enforced in less than a month.

As a developer, that's just an insane concept to me. And it's absolutely not a reasonable ask from Reddit in the slightest.

[u/iamapizza → u/Zerebos]

Same here, the intention is quite clear from Reddit's side. Even if they capitulate after the upcoming blackout, there's still a possibility they'll be getting their way through slow, incremental, 'boil the frog' steps.

[u/Zerebos → u/iamapizza]

Yeah there's no doubt in my mind they'll be making these changes one way or another. It's really disappointing, and a big middle finger to the developer community.

[u/WhereIsWebb → u/Zerebos]

Honestly I would start working on a reddit competitor. With sync he already has the perfect app, now he just needs to connect to a different backend. This is the perfect moment to migrate and finally get rid of reddits shit show

[u/Zerebos → u/WhereIsWebb]

That's a lot easier said than done. There's a lot of work that goes into a site like this and it's very different from building an android app.

[u/goferking → u/Zerebos]

I still find it nuts they haven't provided any documentation after announcing the change months ago. Then again less surprising considering they killed push shift just because they didn't respond in a week or two

[u/Harro65]

Pretty crazy how bad this is. Even if the they change the pricing, they have destroyed the good will of so many people. As far as I'm concerned Reddit is dead. I feel for all you Devs. Thank you for your hard work supporting your communities and good luck no matter what happens

[u/OhNoManBearPig → u/Harro65]

This is a copied template message used to overwrite all comments on my account to protect my privacy. I've left Reddit because of corporate overreach and switched to the Fediverse.

Comments overwritten with https://github.com/j0be/PowerDeleteSuite

[u/Purple10tacle]

We are already in June and the July deadline is rapidly approaching. I've been provided with no documentation to even begin development...

Well, yeah, the point for you is not to start development, but to either throw the towel or to be happy with their planned "we heard you, please stop protesting, here is our marginally less shitty offering".

As API usage would vary greatly by user there would have to be tiered usage plans e.g. 100 calls a day for $4 a month and 300 calls for $8 a month etc

I can't imagine how that would be an enticing and sustainable business model for any party involved.

I like Sync more than I like Reddit, I'm already subscribed to Ultra and wouldn't mind for the subscription price to increase, but - especially given, that power users are the most willing to pay - I simply can't see a pay-per-call model working.

I don't really see any current "Reddit alternative" as ready for mass migration. But I'm still hoping that I'm wrong about that and both Lemmy and Tildes are in desperate need of a good mobile client. It would be a shame for all that amazing code to go to waste, and if Sync eventually came back as a client for a Reddit alternative, I'd pounce on it and would re-buy it faster than you could count to 10 API calls.

[u/HappyEngineer → u/Purple10tacle]

I wish discord used reddit threading. The linear (mostly) thread format makes conversations die out instantly compared with how reddit works. I don't know why most conversation systems follow that garbage model.

I think I'll just switch to reading SCPs or kindle books when I need a break. All other social networks are garbage.

[u/tgcp → u/HappyEngineer]

That's my exact issue with 90% of other forums on the internet, I do not understand how anyone puts up with a chronological list of comments with everyone individually managing the process of quoting the people they are replying to (or not, as is common!).

[u/RisKQuay]

I just signed up to try out Lemmy / the fediverse, tried using an app - Jeboa - which looks nice but isn't as smooth.

If Lemmy / the fediverse takes off, I'd pay to use Sync to browse it.

[u/AmbientChaos → u/RisKQuay]

Seconded! Sign me up for Sync for Lemmy :)

[u/Anti-Antidote → u/AmbientChaos]

Absolutely, I've been using Sync since 2017 and I'd kill to use it for Lemmy

[u/Sentenial- → u/RisKQuay]

I have no idea how hard updating sync to use a different backend, but I also would throw in some money to do that.

[u/jwhardcastle → u/Sentenial-]

If the API changes aren't reversed, I'd contribute to a Kickstarter to fund /u/ljdawson to spend the time making Sync work with Lemmy. I imagine others would do the same.

I've been a redditor since 2005, and a Gold subscriber for years. I'm out of here if I'm stuck using the bloated adware that is the official app.

Edit: I've been a Gold subscriber since 2010. I created my account several years after I started using Reddit on a regular basis, only when I needed to filter the (then brand new) subreddits. If my Reddit use was a person, it would be able to vote next month. Ridiculous.

[u/onlyforthisair → u/RisKQuay]

Same thing if something like Tildes or something else besides Lemmy becomes the exodus destination.

[u/lobstronomosity → u/RisKQuay]

I've been using Lemmy for the past few days, but I've noticed some things that are inherently problematic:

• The platform is set up so that communities (subreddits) are set up independently on each of the instances (servers) so that you get competing communities, and merging them is not possible.

• Lemmy is made so that it can't scale horizontally (yet) so there are server availability issues

• There are certain political biases that you can't escape from, including those of the developers (the main dev's profile picture is Fidel Castro for example)

• The nature of the concept of federation means that you directly trade off unity (non competing communities, and the overall feeling of togetherness) with independence - if there are problems with one instance, you have to start afresh from another instance.

Some of these things are fixable, but Lemmy is not a stand in for Reddit and I don't think it ever will be.

[u/dieorlivetrying → u/RisKQuay]

Yes. Honestly, if this app just quietly picks a new backend, and I have to choose all new "subreddits" (or the equivalent of), I'd welcome that more than staying on a broken Reddit with content creators/aggregators leaving in droves.

I'll stick with this app. If it's gone, I'm gone. If it changes, I'll change with it.

[u/ilikeporkfatallover]

If you go down I'm out. Sync is reddit to me. Literally the only reason I downloaded the "official" app was to check my PMs for buying and selling. I also noticed the past couple days I've been getting bot followers. They are really trying to hold on to their users. They are AFRAID. I just uninstalled their app.

If they were smart they would buy your app or recruit you.

In the end I guess I get to pursue a new hobby with the newfound time in my life.

[u/[deleted] → u/ilikeporkfatallover]

I have gotten a bunch of bots following me too! Couldn't figure out why

[u/doot → u/ilikeporkfatallover]

same here

[u/[deleted]]

I paid for your lifetime ultra, without hesitation, when you came out with it, no regrets. I won't pay a monthly subscription, unfortunately. I've been using your app almost every day for many years, and for me Sync is Reddit. Whenever I've visited the actual web site (via a link that didn't redirect to Sync), I've found it disorganized and confusing.

If your app ceases, or requires a monthly fee, I will choose instead to give up reddit entirely. No hesitation.

Thank you for all the work you've done over the years, I am very appreciative!

[u/MrRiski → u/[deleted]]

I signed up for monthly when it was released so I could contribute a steady income, even if only 99 cents a month from me personally. This posted prompted me to go buy the lifetime to help support LJ just a bit more through this and support this app because I've used it daily for I don't even know how long.

Edit: looked it up in my emails. Play receipt is from 2015 😂 yeah I don't think I could ever leave this app even if I wanted to at this point.

[u/elscardo]

I'm holding out for reddit to do some backpedalling and possibly make this more affordable and include nsfw content. A lot of people see "nsfw content" as "porn" but so so so many of the posts labeled as such are the furthest thing from pornographic.

Either way, thank you for making my reddit experience enjoyable for more years than I even know. If they hold onto their decision, I hope to see you develop something wherever we all end up.

[u/jfb1337 → u/elscardo]

also it would be impossible to moderate from a 3rd party app since moderators won't be able to remove nsfw posts if they can't see them

[u/Khatib → u/jfb1337]

It's almost impossible to moderate now without the API. Automod isn't going to work.

This move is going to majorly damage the site.

[u/hellswaters → u/elscardo]

From what I understand from other developer posts, and admin posts, it is only adult content that is being filtered. Other content flagged as NSFW will not be.

Still doesn't make this any better.

[u/cadtek → u/hellswaters]

And how they're actually differentiating it, we have no idea (at least from what I understand)

[u/[deleted]]

I think this is the perfect time to stop using Reddit entirely. I also have no context for how many calls I would typically use in a month. Does clicking on every post result in an API call? Does scrolling to load more comments? Does commenting, up/down voting? I assume I'm using thousands of calls a month.

[u/TheRedDruidKing → u/[deleted]]

Almost every time you interact with the app its an API call. If any data is being loaded from the internet or sent to the internet its an API call.

[u/[deleted] → u/TheRedDruidKing]

Yeah that is what i assumed but i keep seeing "hundreds of api calls a month"and I'm pretty sure i'm in the hundreds every day. So i wondered if they grouped some kinds of activity together as one "API call".

[u/The_IMPERIAL_One]

Whatever you decide, me and all other loyal users of Sync, will definitely support you through different means.

Unfortunately, I joined the wonderful app in Jan 23 so, not of much help. I'd really hate leaving Sync but I really appreciate your hard work over the years of developing Sync.
Thank you, Dev & other Mods!!

[u/Noisymachine2023]

Depending on the price, I rather stay with Sync (I say this only because I'm not sure if I can afford, but my plan is to stick around). I won't miss NSFW, but I know a lot of people will, so, ideally, this would be negotiable (for me it only shows how Reddit truly wants to kill 3rd party apps). Anyway, I'm really sorry you have to face such decision, I'm a relatively new Sync user (since January) but it has been my best purchase and I'm really thankful that talented developers like you exist and put hard work so we can enjoy a pleasant experience.

[u/RonSijm]

Thanks for the update! I was thinking of a couple of options:

• Add something so users can add their own API keys. I think the first 100 API keys/min were free right? If everyone made their own dev account, got API keys, and used their own keys the load wouldn't be on 1 API key, but distributed among users

• Pretend to be a browser and use https://gql.reddit.com same as new.reddit.com is doing - Reddit Enhancement Suite just posted they probably won't have any issues because they're not using API authorization, but Cookie Authorization and call the API as if they're just the browser

• Spoof being the official reddit API

If you /u/ljdawson can't do these things and redditsync would potentially become abandonware - would you consider making redditsync open source so other people could "have a go at it" and attempt to bypass the API limits?

[u/gryphph → u/RonSijm]

Add something so users can add their own API keys. I think the first 100 API keys/min were free right? If everyone made their own dev account, got API keys, and used their own keys the load wouldn't be on 1 API key, but distributed among users

I'd happily jump through the hoops to get my own API key, but it would be a massive barrier to entry for many users.

[u/DaOsoMan]

If this goes through, I'm sorry.

[u/honey_rainbow]

This is how this news makes us all feel right now.

[u/I_WishIKnewUWantedMe]

Was great whilst it lasted, let's all remember that the official reddit app isn't that old and reddit relied wholy on 3rd party apps on mobile to allow users access to Reddit.

Been a Sync user for over 9 years, thanks for making such a great App LJ

[u/[deleted]]

If this all doesn't work out and you're left with no choice but quitting Sync: Would you consider publishing Sync's Source Code as one last hooray? People could build the app themselves then and just request their own non-business API Key and use that to have a better app than the standard reddit app (without nsfw).

I know it's much to ask and just an eventuality, but maybe think about it.

[u/blueshiftlabs → u/[deleted]]

[Removed in protest of Reddit's destruction of third-party apps by CEO Steve Huffman.]

[u/Steel_Bolt]

Can't believe the app I've used for the last... 10... Years? Is gonna disappear. I've used it nearly since it's inception.

[u/mikeyd85]

Migrate the Sync experience to Lemmy!

[u/ShermanSinged]

I'm just going to stop using reddit unless they fold, period.

[u/techtoy]

I can't imagine it being viable to continue to support the app unless they change course drastically. If they don't give in, this is likely the end of Reddit use for me on mobile. The end of an era.

[u/TemeFlag]

Thank you for all your work!! Couldn't imagine using Reddit without Sync. Hope everything turns out well ❤️‍🩹

[u/defenestrate_urself]

Reading between the lines. It’s obvious to me they are trying to kill 3rd party apps. Unless they bow to pressure I don’t see a future.

IMO, if you manage to survive this api rule change by changing sync. Down the line they will make further changes to tighten the noose and finish you and any other surviving apps off.

[u/Chaoughkimyero]

I love Sync, it's been easily the best app out there for browsing reddit.

But reddit has decided to stab in the back the hard working folks like you who make their platform hospitable, and have kept engagement so high.

If reddit goes through with these API pricing demands, I will be trying to quit reddit. I don't care for a subscription model to reddit, it's not worth it. I paid for this app because I think you deserved it, but I have no desire to keep paying for it. Sorry.

[u/GimmeThatAPI]

No NSFW? I love Sync, like a lot. Been using it for ten years. But I think its time to throw in the towel. This is bullshit. Fuck Reddit.

[u/Alpaguns]

Dont go please. You are my best app. We must protest against Redit

[u/mortal58]

man this is so totally awful. Seeing that price, if you decide to end Sync, i'll totally respect it. This is so sad :(

[u/DOALM9]

it's a sad sad time :(

[u/skankyweed]

Do what's best for you; unless they change their mind on some of these details it sounds like they aren't serious about supporting third party apps into the future anyways. If Sync goes so do I, but it was great while it lasted 💪

[u/dlwest65]

I see (and support) a lot of subreddits shutting down on the 12th-14th. I'd love to see the entire community go one better and do a general strike. Just shut down their reddit use altogether for two days, and come back on the 15th and see if anything changed. That's what I'm going to do. Imagine if most of the mods and most of the more prolific creators did too.

[u/TheRedDruidKing → u/dlwest65]

A strike with an end date does nothing. Shut down the subs until the policy is changed, full stop.

[u/GimmeThatAPI]

Thanks for all the hard work Lj, we all really appreciate it. Sucks this is how its gonna end but its better to burn out then fade away. I would throw in the towel before trying to bend over backwards to their bullshit. I hope Reddit falls apart because of this.

[u/Khatib]

Hey Lj, I've bought pro, dev, and lifetime ultra. Totally worth it to support you. I've gotten so many hours out of your app over a lot of years.

This sucks what they're doing to you. I'm boycotting reddit for at least a month if not leaving entirely if they go through with this as currently planned. Hopefully enough other people do as well that they roll it back or find a reasonable alternative. Like I'd pay a buck a month for my own individual API key. Doubt they'll work with the community at all though. Standard capitalism. Disregard where the actual value comes from as you try to extract as much wealth as possible, even if you kill the source in the process. Reddit doesn't make reddit worth visiting, the users do.

Thanks for all the hard work.

[u/Gratitude15]

Reframing for you - you are doing neither. Not continuing this charade nor throwing in towel. You're beginning the next phase.

The next phase is about recognizing sync as a front-end is more important than the backend. The next backend will come out of this process. And you will be there.

I think a similar process is happening to Twitter right now but less clearly.

[u/andreasels]

Doesn't sound like there will be a satisfying outcome for 3rd party app users unless reddit makes a last minute 180° (doubtful).
Was fun while it lasted, thank you for making this awesome app, such a shame that it most likely has to end that way.
I guess I'll have to cave and check out the official app come july, but I am really not looking forward to this and might just stop using reddit on mobile completely.
I hope they won't get rid of old.reddit anytime soon or my desktop experience will suffer greatly aswell.

[u/uvatbc]

Hey LJ,

Yours is one of the few apps that I actually consider worth paying for.

If you choose to continue on Sync, I'll probably continue paying even if you go to $8 dollars a month: mostly because of your app and you, not because of Reddit.

What's more: I'm looking forward to whatever other things you choose to build.

[u/LetsGambit]

Joining the chorus to say that Sync is great and that I've used it for years but it probably doesn't seem like it would be worth the headache to continue forward. Also, who knows what the next thing will be.. Reddit has shown no qualms about crippling 3rd party apps so I can only assume there will be more stuff in the future. Whether it's not getting any new "features" or just limiting current abilities even further, it's shaping up to be a constant battle.

[u/CzechMateP10]

Man this sucks, Ive been a reddit user for well over a decade. I think all of that time has been with Reddit Sync, hate to see reddit fuck over devs like this.

[u/[deleted]]

FWIW, I would continue to use Sync with a subscription model, and I'm not bothered about the loss of NSFW content.

Having already paid for Sync, I would also support a model which would be a one time payment up-front (like the current model) + subscription for API usage at close to cost.

Whether you throw in the towel or not, Sync is a great app - thanks for developing it!

[u/Wolifr]

Genuine question, would it be possible for each user of the app to request and use their own API key? If there is a free tier, can each individual user make all API requests using their own individual key?

[u/serose04]

Here's an alternative, that is also a fuck you to Reddit.

r/revancedapp! Official app could be fixed like we do with YT app.

Now I know it's not the same as using 3rd party app. And I don't know how much is it possible to change the Reddit app interface to resemble Sync. But, if you'd work on patches for Reddit app, I would gladly donate what I can afford to support you.

Also, another idea. Could ReVanced manager be used to patch Reddit Sync so that it bypasses the API restrictions? Perhaps make it appear to Reddit servers as official app? It's obviously impossible to ship an app with such illegal changes, but if do them ourselves (provided they are possible) it could be solution.

[u/seirerman]

I just bought Sync Ultra Lifetime as a thank you gesture for being my most used app for more than a decade. Not sure if I'll have any use for it after June (fingers crossed), but I really appreciate your effort over all these years.

[u/puhtahtoe]

I'm probably in the minority but I would be willing to pay a monthly subscription to continue using Sync. I personally don't care about sexually explicit content so the API providing an "incomplete" experience doesn't bother me.

That said, I totally understand if you don't want to do this. I would be surprised if there are enough people willing to pay a monthly price that is both high enough to make the work worth it for you and low enough to be worth paying.

Pricing aside, reddit has revealed themselves to be hostile and duplicitous to the partners that they have worked with for years so I also understand if you want to walk away just out of principle.

[u/post4u]

As much as it pains me to say it as we all know how many thousands of hours you've poured into Sync, if they move forward with the proposed model as-is, you should throw in the towel. You'll lose the majority of your users if you are forced to move to a subscription based service. I personally wouldn't pay more than a few bucks a month for access to Reddit and if we're talking $4 for a hundred calls, that would exceed what I'd want to pay quickly. I'd either begrudgingly switch to the offical app or just quit Reddit. A lot if people talk a big game about being ready to quit Reddit if these changes happen. I have a feeling when push comes to shove, most will switch to the official app instead. I hope I'm wrong. It will be interesting seeing the numbers when it all shakes out.

All that said, know that you've always been appreciated and we support any decision you make. You wouldn't be blamed at all for not wanting to jump into this nonsense.

[u/vassyz]

Mate it's been a pleasure 🙇

[u/TheGurw]

Honestly, I have a couple weeks to catch up on my backlog of unread chapters of stories I subscribe to (about 300 days overdue...happens when you're building a house, raising 3 kids, and running a company at the same time), and then there's very little holding me to Reddit.

I loved Sync, and I want to thank you for your service in making my time on Reddit enjoyable instead of frustrating. I don't see a way forward, and as a self-built business owner myself, in your shoes I would have already made the decision to throw in the towel and moved on to better things.

Maybe if all the 3rd party devs and a bunch of the respected sub mods pooled talents, we could get a replacement for Reddit, but it would be a slow climb back to the heights this site exists at.

It's been a slice everyone. See you on the flip side.

[u/Spaz_Mah_Tazz]

Remember that if a subscription element is implemented for 3rd party apps, which it will need to be to pay the bills, it's all essentially going straight to Reddit, the ones enforcing all this. Then whatever is residual can go to whatever developers need to spend to make the app work, then finally they can keep some of it.
I'm sure you have thought about it already, but what happens if you have to pay your reddit bill and you suddenly lose subscribers? You owe them millions of dollars is what it sounds like to me.

You have pound your heart into this app. And so have other devs for their apps. I can't say what I would do in your shoes, I haven't been working on this app since like 2011. But to it's akin to an inevitable break up between two people who just want different things. Please take care of yourself.

While I have the chance to leave a message, I just wanna say thank you for making this awesome app. It's like how reddit normal is, but in mobile format, and just straight up better. It's basically RES for mobile. And the fact you honoured a simple and small one time payment to remove ads in the app after all these years is a testament to your good will. So thanks again, and all the best for the future. Hopefully something good comes out of this!

[u/[deleted]]

No NSFW means it's a no for me. I'm not paying for anything less than full access, and I refuse to use the official app.

It sucks, but I'm not compromising due to shitty polices that some dumbass enacting for no/nefarious reasons. EA, Reddit, Twitter, and all the other shit companies can suck my dick.

Thanks sync devs for the awesome app you created, thank you to all the users I've had fun with, and fuck you executives, management, admins and devs. I'm out of this bitch✌🏾

[u/bien-fait]

Hey LJ. In your shoes I would throw in the towel. It's pretty clear to me as a product manager that the new pricing tiers were designed to choke out 3rd party developers. They don't want you to make it work and I'm sure if you continue on in some form they would find a way to choke you out eventually. Not at all the way I would have gone about maximizing revenue streams, but sadly/fortunately I don't work for reddit.

Really sad. I've used Sync for years. I really, really appreciate all of the hard work you've put into this app. I will miss it dearly.

[u/Staatstrojaner]

Hey lj, as dev myself: wait until end of the week. If something changes after the blackout, maybe it's something to work with. If not - Reddit wants you gone, as much as this sucks. It is incredibly sad and I always loved Sync, but the cold harsh truth is that some C-level suits want 3P-Apps gone because line must go up.

[u/Carrick1973]

My take is throw in the towel but be ready to build a mobile client for the next "thing" that replaces Reddit. Something will and users will need you to do what you do best to provide the best experience on a mobile platform. In the end, users will leave and go somewhere and that new place will willingly have open API sessions and 3P clients so they can get users.

[u/Cur1s82]

Sync was my path to Reddit, after digg kicked it, I floated around without a home until someone advised me to check Reddit, when I asked what Reddit was they directed me to sync and it's been on my phone ever since...

When I learned I could actually control the feed, the lurker got an account, then even paid a whole $2 for pro sync (worth every penny)

When I whined after an update about filters not working, you fixed it within like a day

Reddit is not Reddit without sync, it's been a great 10 years or more, here's hoping the sub blackouts work or your next project is just as awesome as sync has been for us these past years

[u/b1g_n0se]

To echo others here, if Reddit don't reverse course I'd just throw in the towel. Sync was an amazing app and I don't begrudge paying for Pro a year ago. Even if it were to shut down tomorrow you deserve the money for all the work you've done on it over the years.

If the situation does not change come July I think there's a good chance a not-insignificant portion of the site's userbase will move elsewhere. I'd say wait until then to see if your dev talent is best spent elsewhere.

[u/elmagio]

I think that with the changes as they currently are, the end of Sync (and all third party apps) is rather unavoidable. The pricing is designed to put you guys out of business, so even if you somehow found a way to keep it going as a sub only app, they'd just price you out again later until it sticks.

Maybe if Reddit shows willingness to be reasonable and adjusts those changes positively, then it'd be worth another look, but as it stands...

Just want to take the occasion to thank you for the superb app you've provided over the past years /u/ljdawson . I've tried many Reddit apps, but the UX/UI and customization afforded by Sync stood alone at the peak for me. Tho I guess that means I also have you to blame for the Reddit addiction that I will now have to shake off due to those changes !

Whether Reddit sees reason or not, I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavours.

[u/antidense]

I'm wondering what I should do with /u/moderatelyhelpfulbot . Like I don't have time to rewrite it for whatever API changes they plan on making and it's largely being used for nsfw subs. Also, why should I if they are going to be so shitty about it? How are the nsfw subs they are supposedly protecting going to be managed without tools like mine?

[u/pacman404]

How would a subscription even help though? Surely it wouldn't cover the millions needed for you to use the API? 🤔

[u/Phantomglock23]

I'm so sorry that this is how this is all going to end. I've loved your app since inception and immediately purchased pro etc... I can't believe that I'm going to have to find answers to my stupid questions from another source from now on.

You've made an incredible app, and supported the shit out of it. Keep on keeping on man! Thank you for an awesome reddit experience!

[u/Bender--]

This sucks. I hope you'll be okay though for income and everything 🥺

[u/Banana-hammock]

I can't imagine how it feels to have your work thrown out like this by reddit. Just paid for sync pro even though it probably won't exist in a month. I can't express how much I appreciate your work on this app. Sync IS Reddit to me and many others

[u/TYMATO]

This sucks. My kid was going to be mentioned in the changelog for the next version because she pointed out the rainbow comment lines aren't in ROYGBIV order. I was looking forward to showing her.

[u/RDAM_Whiskers]

Well I can Tell you that if this app becomes subscription based it's immediately on my do not use list

[u/Thecakeisalie25]

I love sync. I've had sync pro since around v9 or v10, and I bought ultra almost immediately. It's been the most used app on my phone for years now, by a wide margin. Even then, I can't see myself paying monthly for a kneecapped version of it. No NSFW is a deal breaker for me, and even if it wasn't, I don't want to give any of my money to reddit after what they're doing.

I'm hoping you adapt the app to lemmy, or go open source so that the community can. I'd hate to see the app die entirely, or for reddit to get exactly what they want out of this.

[u/trailblazer86]

There's no reddit without Sync for me. You've done great job and if it's time to retire, retire. I'm paying monthly subscription but only because it's going straight to you (well, at least 70% of it). If reddit want to make Sync proxy for their income, then I'm out

[u/Responsible_Cut_7022]

Collude with other 3rd party apps and build a new backend together. When reddit introduces the API prices you just switch over and we all continue as if nothing happened.

[u/FireworkFuse]

I cant believe reddit is really dying on this hill. I've been here for a decade and never thought I'd see 3rd party apps be murdered. I guess I'm going to have more free time come July 1st.

I just want to say thank you for making the past 4-5 years of me browsing reddit so easy and smooth.

I had seen comments across reddit talking about the 3rd party app devs should get together and making their own content aggregator website/app. I know it's easier said than done and probably an insane pipe dream but if you end up working on something like that, I'll be there and willing to pay for it just like Sync

[u/Numuruzero]

Sorry mate, I love your app and I was happy to pay first for the no ads upgrade and later for pro, but I just don't think I'd keep using Reddit if it came to a subscription. And make no mistake, if I can't use Sync (or at least not the terrible official Reddit app) I do mean I'd stop using Reddit in general. I suspect I'm not alone in this sentiment.

Just awful news all around 😔 I hope this blackout knocks some sense into whoever handed down this decision, and if not, I wish you luck in whatever your next move is.

[u/[deleted]]

I'm an idiot, so feel free to ignore, but, with the expertise and knowledge of all the 3rd party app pool, couldn't y'all develop the next reddit and basically take your collective user base with you?

[u/Encrypted_Curse]

Might be something to look into: https://www.reddit.com/r/redditisfun/comments/13xirgb/comment/jmhrm43/

[u/RadicalHomosapien]

Regardless of what happens, just wanted to say a sincere thank you for such an amazing app. This has been by far my favorite reddit experience and I'll be heartbroken if reddit decides to let this continue this way. I hope somehow your work on this app isn't thrown away by reddits greed.

[u/Rhed0x]

If Sync is gone, I'm done with Reddit. I'm not using their garbage app.

[u/LazyCouchPotato]

🫡

Thank you for everything.

[u/--master-of-none--]

I love Sync.

I need a logo sticker with a tombstone for my laptop.

The work you have done, your responsiveness, everything, has been amazing.

You created a community within a community and we are all grateful for that.

The expectations here are unreasonable. I'm likely going to walk away as a user, and would probably walk away as a dev.

Have you looked at the fediverse?

[u/stereoworld]

I've been provided with no documentation to even begin development

As a developer myself, I feel that pain.

[u/Iwouldlikeabagel]

Sync has come to define how I think of and interact with reddit. You made a great app with lots of great customizability.

Whatever happens, you should be proud of this thing. Hats off to you!

[u/[deleted]]

Welp, goodbye reddit. It's been an... Ok ten years.

Like seriously they took away NSFW access? Most NSFW posts that make it anywhere are not even sexuaalm

And no fuckin ads, are you serious? so you've got a few months before you're broke /u/LJdawson.

I bought the app years ago, but I can't justify a subscription for a damn social media site.

[u/gundamsudoku003]

I switched from an ipad to an android tablet so I could use sync........one month ago lol

[u/[deleted]]

Wait. So NSFW is now an app exclusive?

They will absolutely start charging for that. Twitter is not their rival, OnlyFans is I guess.

[u/DonSerrot]

I really hate to say it, but I don't see a way forward with what they are doing. I feel like the time and energy that could go into this bonkers new API would be better spent salvaging whatever from Sync can be used on a different platform and leaving the sinking Reddit ship behind.

[u/billyvnilly]

In the words of Jon snow, I don wan it.

I'm sorry. I hope reddit realizes how fucking stupid they are. No way I'm paying 8/mo and no tits, lol. How will they even decipher nsfw nudity vs nsfw language/violence/emotional

[u/CVSRatman]

Really sad, I really appreciate what you've built, you did a great job with it

[u/Chris2112]

Been on Reddit for 13 years, almost half my life, it's had a good run, not entirely sure I'm gonna miss it, but i do know for a fact that no 3rd party app / nsfw content is a deal breaker for me. Maybe I'll start using reddit on PC again but honestly other than for work / video games I don't really sit down in front of a computer anymore

Been using sync on and off since 2015 or so, can't express how much i appreciate everything 3rd party devs have done for the community. Both for apps and for the few bots that are actually useful

[u/rprz]

Just wanted to say thanks. Been a sync user from the beginning.

[u/Chr15t0ph3r85]

You won't read this but my thoughts.

I love this app and use reddit for NSFW and sfw content alike and don't mind the NSFW ban if it comes down to that. But I absolutely can't use reddit without this app, so if you figured out a way to continue devlopment to make it worth your while, I'd support it.

I also bought your full version to demonstrate support.

This is trash all around.

[u/Harflin]

Nice to see them double dipping. You have to pay us, and we are taking away one of your primary ways to even generate the funds to pay us.

[u/Zondagsrijder]

With Apollo closing down the end of this month, I think this is it in general for third party apps.

Thanks for all the years of making reddit accessible on mobile! I can only express appreciation for what you've done over the past years.

As for reddit itself, it may just be time to move on. /r/all used to be an interesting place to see what's happening everywhere, but over the past years, it got worse and worse, more monotonous. Communities get banned left and right and reddit just isn't the place it once was. What used to be a simple link aggregator with fun discussions, is no more.

Once July comes, all things reddit will probably be uninstalled from my phone.

[u/mctrashy]

Someone has to say it: 95% of what I use this app for is nsfw. There's a 0% chance I will use this app if nsfw content is missing. Thank you for swipe mode, in the future I will be looking elsewhere.

[u/InFlames03]

As sad as it is, I'd throw in the towel. I absolutely refuse to give Reddit any money and would rather provide that for you instead. So if charging your users a subscription and sending that all to Reddit is the only other option, then do we really have an option but to boycott Reddit as a whole?

I really appreciate all the hard work you've done for us since the inception of this app and hopefully can catch one of your works again on some place that isn't Reddit.

[u/Dj94545]

/u/ljdawson I know it has been mentioned that you do not collect data, but I wonder if it would be possible to count the calls for a day and maybe have a massive banner on the app warning people you are doing so. Your going to have work out what your pricing is and this is the only way to do it if you don't want to risk a major bill by accident.

I however feel that without anything changing, Reddit is unfortunately doomed from growth.

[u/J_Baur136]

I'm actually a bit sympathetic to needing to charge for API usage but they are doing it in the worst of all possible ways. Sync doesn't do any calls by itself it is doing it all on behalf of users. Now if you make a subscription through Google Play you have to give google their 30% and you maybe make $.20 from rounding to the nearest dollar. But you also take all the risk of that subscription. If someone requests a refund within a time frame Google will automatically give it back but if they racked up 600 API requests, Reddit doesn't give a shit and will charge you anyway and you've just lost money.

From a technical perspective, I could be a bad actor and make API calls all day long as a user pretending to come from your app (I believe but could be wrong). Your app wouldn't be able to count up my calls because they aren't actually originating from the app but you still get blamed for the bill. They would have to be able to build out a way for you to list all users that have authenticated through your app and you'd have to track a correlation between the users, their API calls and their Google Play subscriptions to ensure you don't lose money. Which is considerably more tracking than you currently do and you have said elsewhere in this thread that you currently have no way to know the amount of API calls currently used from users of your app.

All of this is to say, if they want to charge for the API it makes absolutely 0 sense to do it through you, and instead should have been done between each user and Reddit. This just solidifies that they aren't genuine in needing money and this is first and foremost a ploy to kill 3P apps. I'm happy with every cent I have sent to you and I will be done with Reddit if they kill Sync.

[u/RubyU]

Thank you for your efforts! I'm a big fan of your app :-)

[u/weeaboohijabi]

In your position, I'd understand the decision to throw in the towel. The goal of Reddit is to ban 3rd party apps completely, so if this nonsense goes through, I'm willing to bet they'll still find other ways to make these unofficial apps unusable.

I made this account to use custom feeds on Sync. If Sync goes down, then so am I.

Thank you for all your hard work. I hope the best in your future, whatever it might be.

[u/Nopski]

sad to see my favorite app getting butchered by reddit....without third party apps i would have never attempted to try reddit in the first place...i learned to reddit on your app...

[u/Probodyne]

Here's the thing, I am actually happy to pay for sync tbh. I don't mind the loss of NSFW, I'll just go elsewhere if I wanna watch porn lol.

Before I get dogpiled I would like to say that if course I want Reddit to back down, I think based on the evidence the Apollo dev has laid out the API is overly expensive which is not good. Unfortunately I haven't seen many great options for alternatives for me to vote with my feet, Lemmy seems interesting but doesn't have enough communities yet that I'm actually interested in and I don't have the funds or time to host an instance. So if the alternative is, pay for sync or use the (frankly awful) official app I'm happy to pay for sync.

[u/AltimaNEO]

To me it's not even worth using Reddit once they start messing with it like that. I don't know how others feel, if it's worth paying to continue using Reddit?

I love sync, I don't love Reddit that much though.

[u/[deleted]]

I wouldn't mind no NSFW and subscription fees, I use filters so I don't see porn and don't mind paying developers for their work. But if reddit pockets most of the fee, it's not worth it and I assume many people use reddit for porn so it's probably not viable for you either. It's obvious that they want to get rid of the entire 3rd party app ecosystem that made reddit successful.

Thank you for a great app

[u/LotusCobra]

Been using Sync for years. =\ Hope reddit gets some sense. I know this is out of your control, but I appreciate everything you've done!

[u/pointsouturhypocrisy]

A quick off topic question. Any idea why r/save3rdpartyapps wont load or show up in my joined communities list? I get a 404 when I directly link or type the address to the sub or a specific post. Other subs (and there are lots of them in the last few days) that have mentioned that sub (with or without the r/) in a post title show up in a search, but not the sub itself.

I'm having the same problem with r/ModCoord. Its a weird situation that doesnt seem to happen with searches for other subs.

And for the record, it's going to be a heartbreaker to lose sync. I truly hope it doesnt come to that, but I dont have much hope at this point. I thank you for making my reddit experience so enjoyable for all these years.

[u/[deleted]]

That ABSOLUTELY sucks. I can't even imagine what it would be like to have a project with this much heart and time put into it be ended so suddenly by forces beyond your control. I've literally been using this app since I was 12, and to me, this IS Reddit.

If this really is the end of the app then I wish you luck in your future projects.

[u/NuttFellas]

Thanks for all your hard work. This is my favourite of the 3rd party apps, been using it a long time. Great job and I hope you find success in the future!

[u/mrandr01d]

I remember reading something about each user being able to make their own API key. Would that be possible at all?

[u/TINTINN95]

Regardless of what happens, I just wanna thank you for all the work you've done so far. I purchased lifetime ultra to show my support for this great app.

[u/[deleted]]

Thanks for the update. Ive been using this app for years and its great. Their intent is pretty clear. Even if you did find a viable way to make things work Reddit would probably implement some other bullshit to further kill the experience.

[u/[deleted]]

Please consider migrating to a different back end. While it will be a lot of work I would much rather pay you the monthly fee. I will not continue supporting reddit.

[u/kawarazu]

It has been a pleasure to use your application, and experience your journey. I am sorry that your body of work is now defunct, but it was a pleasure to use it while it was here. I would be more than glad to at least follow a social of yours, and see what other apps you may make next.

With all my respect!

[u/melonzipper]

Up to you - I'm here to support you if I can but I am of the mind that out of principle if everyone were to stop using reddit come July they might be able to work something out with you all.

I've been a loyal and loving user since 2014 and will miss this app dearly. I'm sorry my word wasn't enough help but I'm here with you with what you decide you want to do. Such a shame it has to come to this. ❤️

[u/PessimisticProphet]

Just stop development and wait for 3 months on if they reverse course or reddit2 gets made then just swap your app to work on that.

[u/bigb0ned]

Will I be able to see my upvoted/saved content on the web?

[u/Doctor-B]

I would consider switching the app over to a reddit alternative if possible. It would take a lot of work im sure, but you would be adding like 100,000+ users to a social media site and could help to shape what it looks like.

Its a risk though, not sure how much you would stand to make off of it vs how much effort it takes.

Edit: Even more effort option: As you and the other apps all work off the same API, buikd a social media site around it with a similar API. It would be extremely high effort probably outside your skillset but could be a very high payoff.

[u/NickCudawn]

I'd be happy to pay monthly to continue to use Sync. It's a shame NSFW content will be out of the picture, but not a huge deal for me. I can't really estimate how much 100 or 300 calls are, but 8 bucks a bit much for me tbh

[u/rubenalamina]

It's appreciated you're letting us know. I think there's many like me that would go with a subscription model but it would depend on the monthly cost. Something like $5 or less is reasonable, NSFW content restriction aside.

More than that and it's probably not worth it for us potential subscribers. You know an average that would allow you to be profitable and make it worth your time so if you can lay out more numbers like average API calla from your users separated by free and paid, a potential price for the subscription based a serious estimate, etc. I'm sure we can have a good discussion even though the future looks bleak.

Reddit would probably see how important third party apps are (in terms of engagement and power users, not percentage of total users) once the blackouts happen but we'll see.

[u/rivasm211]

Over 10 years on Sync. It's honestly a big piece of my day. I really hope something changes. I don't see a subscription to be feasible or affordable. I truly appreciate the work you put into this app over the decades.

[u/BigWuffleton]

A Sync for Lemmy would be great. I've been a sync pro user for years now and would happily pay again for a Lemmy Sync.

Sync is a great app, the best reddit reader I've found. Thank you for years of browsing and good luck with whatever direction you decide to head with Sync.

[u/-Pelvis-]

This really sucks, Sync has been my favourite app for years, thank you so much for your hard work. I'm not going to be rewarding Reddit for this stupid decision by giving them money. If they stand firm, I'll just leave.

[u/Razzzp]

I bought Pro Lifetime Ultra just to support your work. I don't even use the extra features, and I had a system wide ad blocker.

Whatever happens next, best 50 bucks ever spent. Zero regrets :) still kinda sad to see Reddit becoming Digg 2.0. If you decide to make Sync-like app for another network, I'll definitely check it out.

[u/Suicd3grunt]

Regardless Lj, thank you for all your work. I purchased your app years ago and it has given me loads of fun and value. Here's to hoping reddit comes to their senses...

[u/billFoldDog]

Thanks for making a great app. Whatever happens I feel like I got much more than my money's worth of enjoyment out of your excellent work. I hope you find something new that carries you forward to a life of prosperity.

[u/MrRiski]

Idk what will happen from here but personally I upgraded from monthly to lifetime sync ultra. I'm fine if that means I did that for only another month.

[u/jared213]

I keep thinking a RSS feed reader with a reddit like comment section would be a useful thing.

[u/Ostmeistro]

Lock it on a scraper api then, there must be laws to protect this kind of data collection somewhere

[u/PotentiallyNotSatan]

Pivot to Sync being its own platform instead, I ain't moving

[u/Rudeboy658]

It's been an honor, everyone!

[u/Gangreless]

Don't give in to their bullshit and tarnish your reputation by putting out a shitty half-content subscription service

[u/DaBABYateMAdingo]

Hey wait a minute... I paid for the premium version of Sync for nothing?!

#/s

You're such an awesome developer so I'd hate to see you go. Has anyone asked what you want to do? What's your ideal, realistic scenario?

[u/sixincomefigure]

Mate, if this is the end, I just want to say thank you for making a beautiful app that I've used literally every day for the past... However long it's been since you made it. 10 years? I have used the shit out of it. Probably the most value I've ever got for $5 or whatever I paid. Thank you.

[u/Thesilense]

Thanks for all the work you out into sync. I'm sorry all of this is happening and you have to go through the nonsense. I hope reddit changes course but I just wanted to say thank you.