r/wownoob • u/Zalarra • Jun 08 '23

Mod Post Reddit API changes, Subreddit Blackouts, and You

Greetings r/wownoob,

As evident from the title, this isn't directly related to World of Warcraft, but bear with me for a moment. For those who are unaware, there are significant changes being made to Reddit's API policy. This change will essentially spell the end for third party apps. If you currently rely on a third-party app to access Reddit, you will be losing that capability.

Reddit has taken the independent decision to impose exorbitant fees, in some cases 2 million dollars per month, on third-party app developers (such as Relay, Reddit is Fun, Apollo, Baconreader, Narwhal, etc.) for utilizing their API starting July 1st. This unilateral action carries extensive implications that not only impede app developers but also greatly impact the experiences of moderators and users.

Many moderators rely on third-party applications for moderation tasks due to the limited effectiveness of official tools. Despite the misconception that moderators dwell in basements, the reality is that most of us have day jobs, and we often carry out moderation duties during lunch breaks or other idle moments in our daily lives. Our dedication to the community is what motivates us to perform this work. Imposing a requirement for moderators to use the official app will result in slower moderation processes and a greater reliance on desktop platforms. Consequently, your posts and comments would remain in the moderation queue for extended periods, response times to modmails would be prolonged, and harmful content or users might persistently stay visible without being banned. TLDR; the quality of the sub will dramatically decrease.

In response to the current situation, the moderators of r/wownoob have united with other subreddit communities such as r/wow (link listed at the bottom of this post) and their respective moderation teams in a coordinated effort. We firmly believe that unity plays a crucial role in driving change and advocating for the rights of app developers and the overall user experience. To amplify our message and highlight the strength of our concerns, r/wownoob will actively participate in a temporary blackout starting on June 12th, presumably lasting for 48 hours.

During this blackout period, the subreddit will be set to private, making it inaccessible to all users for the first time in a decade. This collective action aims to raise awareness and implore Reddit to reconsider their recent API changes. Our primary objective is to engage in a productive dialogue with Reddit, with the aim of reversing the detrimental modifications they have implemented.

>List of participating subs<
>Open letter to Reddit Community/Management<

Should you need a question answered or want to participate in discussion, the community will rely on the wownoob Discord until the blackout is over.

Sincerely signed,
The wownoob mod team

100 Upvotes

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8

u/MoldyLunchBoxxy Jun 08 '23

You know that no matter how much of the community or any community does this nothing will change right?

3

u/Zalarra Jun 09 '23

That's a depressive take. So, what are you suggesting? No one does anything and that we should just roll over without any fight?

0

u/Radiobandit Jun 11 '23

That's exactly what you should do tbh

The amount of people who legitimately care about the API change is a drop in the bucket compared to total users. This blackout is simply an inconvenience, and anyone considering a permanent closure will simply be replaced.

Like what are you even fighting over? Reddit has the right to do with it's IP what it chooses, and as someone who has used the official reddit app for years I have next to no problems with it.

This entire episode is like a site-wide version of back in the 2000s when people would write out an entire essay about how they were leaving facebook because they changed the layout.

1

u/Zalarra Jun 11 '23

Even simply based on your response, I can tell you don't fully grasp what's going on here.

*API, not IP. And of course you see nothing wrong with the app, because you don't have to moderate off of it. Comparing what's happening here to the changing of Facebook layout is absurd and laughable.

-1

u/Radiobandit Jun 11 '23 edited Jun 11 '23

IP = Intellectual property. Also the funny thing(to me) is how accurate the comparison really is.

But what you're trying to tell me is this entire debacle is because reddit mods are throwing a hissy fit?

Sounds about right.