Basically, API stands for application programming interface. It's the method though which third party tools and applications can communicate with Reddit servers. Reddit is going to charge absurd fees for API access at the end of the month. This will kill all the third party apps, meaning you can only access Reddit on their official app. It will also kill all third party tools.
This is a problem, because Reddit relies on moderators to moderate for free, and the mods have created these tools to actually make their jobs possible. Trying to moderate without them is a big issue. On top of that, being able to only use the official Reddit app or website to moderate is a disaster. So Reddit is telling the most important members of it's community to fuck off essentially.
Another big thing is that there will be no way to access NSFW and/or pornographic content via the API, even if you pay the absurd fees. So everyone on the porn subreddits are pissed off. There are moderators on there who are the only thing stopping Reddit from going full :ancap-good: and Reddit has made it impossible for them to do their jobs. As much as I dislike the porn subreddits, Reddit is treating them very unfairly. It's also why a ton of the subreddits on the blackout list are porn subreddits, and why every second user joining a Lemmy instance wants porn on it.
Also Reddit's own third party app is terrible for screenreaders so a lot of visually impaired people have to rely on third party tools that will no longer work
There are moderators on there who are the only thing stopping Reddit from going full :ancap-good: and Reddit has made it impossible for them to do their jobs.
I think Reddit's long term goal is to get rid of all the porn, or at least quarantine it away from the main site. Due to legality and investment reasons. But in the short term, they could really fuck things up.
API is something that organizes content in the database to look less shite, and let third party access those data, well you need a key which you have to paid to access it and reddit charge hike the price up to access those data.
They're not bootleg as that implies some sort of illegality or grey market. the apps just access content via the API via mutual agreement between the app developer and reddit. the good mobile apps tend to have cleaner interfaces for easier navigation and features that aren't available with the web browser version the latter of which are important for accessibility and moderation
In this case it is specifically a web API. That's also how this site works: your browser loads some code that knows how to ask another server (computer connected to the internet) for the data this site needs to work: posts, images, your user profile, the little funny message at the top. It's very dynamic - when you click on "sort by new" it doesn't totally reload the page, it asks foe the new data and updates in-place.
The web API is what the server exposes, and what the code in your browser is sending messages to, asking for posts, images, your profile, and so on. It actually works as a URL, just with some extra info added. Like api.whatever.com/posts might be where your browser asks for the latest posts. Maybe it needs to know the latest posts' 2nd page, or 3rd page, so it adds that extra info somewhere in its request, somewhere that the web API expects to find it.
This is also a great way to support mobile apps - they can ask for the same data and display it in the app instead of a web browser.
Reddit works exactly the same way, as do most rich, interactive websites.
Aight I'm gonna ask, what the hell is all this "I'm leaving reddit" thing?, ¿what the hell is an API?
Basically, API stands for application programming interface. It's the method though which third party tools and applications can communicate with Reddit servers. Reddit is going to charge absurd fees for API access at the end of the month. This will kill all the third party apps, meaning you can only access Reddit on their official app. It will also kill all third party tools.
This is a problem, because Reddit relies on moderators to moderate for free, and the mods have created these tools to actually make their jobs possible. Trying to moderate without them is a big issue. On top of that, being able to only use the official Reddit app or website to moderate is a disaster. So Reddit is telling the most important members of it's community to fuck off essentially.
Another big thing is that there will be no way to access NSFW and/or pornographic content via the API, even if you pay the absurd fees. So everyone on the porn subreddits are pissed off. There are moderators on there who are the only thing stopping Reddit from going full :ancap-good: and Reddit has made it impossible for them to do their jobs. As much as I dislike the porn subreddits, Reddit is treating them very unfairly. It's also why a ton of the subreddits on the blackout list are porn subreddits, and why every second user joining a Lemmy instance wants porn on it.
Also Reddit's own third party app is terrible for screenreaders so a lot of visually impaired people have to rely on third party tools that will no longer work
oh boy.
Yeah I have the feeling long term, that Reddit wants to get rid of porn or take it away from the main site. So a lot of people want to jump ship.
"What if we pulled a Tumblr for our IPO" lmao
Ah, so that's why Reddit's doing this
I think Reddit's long term goal is to get rid of all the porn, or at least quarantine it away from the main site. Due to legality and investment reasons. But in the short term, they could really fuck things up.
tl;dr: Reddit sees a way to make money by stabbing all of the unofficial Reddit apps in the back and forcing everyone to use the official one.
API is something that organizes content in the database to look less shite, and let third party access those data, well you need a key which you have to paid to access it and reddit charge hike the price up to access those data.
But why are there bootleg reddit apps? Or even the official one? Just use the web browser
They're not bootleg as that implies some sort of illegality or grey market. the apps just access content via the API via mutual agreement between the app developer and reddit. the good mobile apps tend to have cleaner interfaces for easier navigation and features that aren't available with the web browser version the latter of which are important for accessibility and moderation
Because it's better than the officials one, and people's rather using app. It's not really bootleg either.
In this case it is specifically a web API. That's also how this site works: your browser loads some code that knows how to ask another server (computer connected to the internet) for the data this site needs to work: posts, images, your user profile, the little funny message at the top. It's very dynamic - when you click on "sort by new" it doesn't totally reload the page, it asks foe the new data and updates in-place.
The web API is what the server exposes, and what the code in your browser is sending messages to, asking for posts, images, your profile, and so on. It actually works as a URL, just with some extra info added. Like api.whatever.com/posts might be where your browser asks for the latest posts. Maybe it needs to know the latest posts' 2nd page, or 3rd page, so it adds that extra info somewhere in its request, somewhere that the web API expects to find it.
This is also a great way to support mobile apps - they can ask for the same data and display it in the app instead of a web browser.
Reddit works exactly the same way, as do most rich, interactive websites.