First all the bs with Twitter and Elon, then Reddit having an exodus to Lemmy (not complaining lol), then Twitch. Are we like, in an alternate self healing dimension or something?
Elon Musk’s buyout of Twitter seemed more like an extremely elaborate shitpost that went horribly wrong. It’s like Musk never intended to buy them in the first place but was legally forced to do so (he tried to back out of the deal beforehand.)
As for Reddit, that place has been going down the shitter since around 2016. Power users have ruined that site, especially the handful of moderators that control hundreds of subreddits between themselves. Spez is a blithering idiot who has done more to censor and subvert the site than Ellen Pao ever did (ironically, everyone accepted it and didn’t revolt against him because he wasn’t a woman.)
That being said, I really hope Steve Huffman doubles down on the API changes and kills Reddit as a platform. Nothing would make me happier.
Twitch and YouTube literally think they’re too big to fall and work actively to fuck over the content creator, when decent competitors like Rumble and Kick are coming along. Mixer could have been decent but Microsoft’s strategy was literally to offer two streamers nine-figure contracts and somehow think this would drive people to their Twitch-clone. At least Rumble and Kick are competently run.
That being said, I really hope Steve Huffman doubles down on the API changes and kills Reddit as a platform. Nothing would make me happier.
I think this all depends on their reaction to the blackout planned for the 12th. If Reddit starts taking over the default/large subs that shut down it’s 100% going to crash and burn. Not backing down on their API changes I think is an optimistic 60/40 in favor of Reddit chugging along albeit just a bit crappier for it all. (The 40% being a Digg situation that hopefully blows up their IPO plans and VC funding.)
I can certainly see Reddit’s admins staging a hostile takeover of all large subreddits, banhammering any moderator who takes part in the blackout, and installing their own yes-men.
But can you imagine the PR shitshow that would occur if Reddit suddenly deposed its most powerful users? Imagine if a major content creator like Linus Tech Tips, SomeOrdinaryGamers, Penguinz0 or Asmongold jumped on the ‘fuck Reddit’ bandwagon. It would be a major PR boost for any competitor.
If I remember he said no once he had a closer look at the financials and cybersecurity reports under NDA, but at that point in a merger and non-compete it’s basically telling you “good, you’ve bought it, here’s what to plan for” - it’s not something a competitor can just peek in and then back out of.
Thanks for Rumble and Kick, first time I hear about them
Rumble is “that place which welcomed Andrew Tate and Sneako” after they both got banned from mainstream social media. They’re the right-wing free-speech platform.
Kick was formed by a former Twitch streamer (TrainwrecksTV) cause he thought that Twitch went too far in banning gambling streams. Plus he got the backing of Stake, a cryptocurrency-fuelled slot machine website, who are the main investors bankrolling his company.
Thanks for the context, doesn’t seem as appealing anymore ha ha
