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.
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
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.
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