I just saw this post over on r/modcoord which is basically a massive list of subreddits participating in the blackout protest. If I’m being honest I haven’t seen this much anger and coordinated frustration since the era right before the digg exodus.

Assuming more and more subreddits join in, it’s going to send a pretty massive message to the users who interact with a blacked out subreddit. Then I’m trying to imagine what happens if after a massive coordinated blackout, Reddit continue on the current trajectory. Is Lemmy even prepared to handle the amount of potential incoming traffic that API closure could lead to? It’s absolutely bonkers to me that the Reddit team might just stay the course…

  • roblarky@beehaw.orgEnglish
    2·
    3 years ago

    So is there any way for me to help in terms of load distribution? Still figuring out this federated stuff.

    Let’s say beehaw for example.

    I don’t think (?) I want to create my own instance to moderate or whatever, but am I able to create an instance which is like a node to help with load/volume?

    Or is that a matter of beehaw needing beefier servers/bandwidth? Meaning it comes down to financial contribution (which I’ve already set a monthly donation for).

  • backseat@beehaw.orgEnglish
    2·
    3 years ago

    The blackouts will make no difference to Reddit’s plans. The API charge will come in. The content creators and moderators will leave. The content will go stale. The smart shareholders will cash in early; the dumb ones will hang on for the prospect of a greater return which won’t materialise. Once the content is stale, the readers and lurkers will leave. Reddit will become a has-been, a memorable item of internet history like so many other sites.

    • Rentlar@beehaw.orgEnglish
      2·
      3 years ago

      Hot take from me: They were planning to just add ads into the API, remove NSFW so that ad agencies don’t get mad and maybe put a more modest premium to access the API.

      They spark the outrage then basically paint users and subreddits that supported the blackout as ‘heroes’ when the walk back the changes partially and exclaim “We did it Reddit!”. All when it would have been the plan from the get-go. The silence from their reasons behind this has me very suspicious of something like this.

      • DM_Gold@beehaw.orgEnglish
        1·
        3 years ago

        I agree with you. Standard tactics with this sort of shit. Say you’ll do something outrageous and when folks get mad enough roll back your plans enough that don’t quite fuck over users as hard. Repeat ad infinitum. Users think they’ve won but in reality they’ve given up another inch.

  • TheTrueLinuxDev@beehaw.orgEnglish
    1·
    3 years ago

    Honestly, I want Reddit to fail altogether and have people flood into Lemmy by hosting their own instances. It’s like ripping off the band-aid, it’s just better to get on with it.

  • crisisingot@beehaw.orgEnglish
    1·
    3 years ago

    Most of the subs I follow now are planning a black out. Several of them have implied or even outright said they’ll make it indefinite unless Reddit changes their plan

  • balderdash9@beehaw.orgEnglish
    1·
    3 years ago

    I think this will raise awareness but I’m skeptical that reddit will change their plan. I think that whatever we see from them in the future will be what they planned all along. Even if they lower the API data price, they probably planned to do that anyway (anticipating the backlash to their bullshit). Not to mention NSFW content is at risk.

    • Valliac@beehaw.orgEnglish
      4·
      3 years ago

      Seconded on this.

      I’m optimistic it will get the people at Reddit who need to see how it will affect people to see what exactly is happening.

      But the realist in me says they’ve bean-counted how many people will leave or migrate to their default apps and are willing to eat that cost back when they bring out the IPO.