[jjoonathan]

The redesign is terrible for usability, but it does one thing very, very well: punish you for using an adblocker (sorry, "software blocker," lol).

There are a few other dark patterns hidden in there too, all coincidentally pushing in a direction that's good for reddit.

I suspect that's the real purpose of the redesign and that all complaints will fall on deaf ears until someone actually manages to disrupt reddit.

[simias]

>I suspect that's the real purpose of the redesign

I mean at this point I don't think there's any doubt whatsoever. Is there even a plausible other explanation?

I only lurk on reddit but it's rather comical how bad it's become. And not just the interface, the content too, /r/all is basically Facebook with a slightly younger audience and you have to get deeper and deeper into niche subreddits to find worthwhile discussions.

[culot]

Reddit has just gotten too big. So much of the bigger subs are fluffed with surreptitious sponsored content, reputation management, etc. I would have thought that that was where Reddit made the real money, by providing a back-end to make ads look like organic content, by helping moneyed backers influence discussion toward their monetised and brand-building ends.

If Reddit isn't charging and managing those using their platform for that purpose -- not an insignificant number, surely -- they are fools.

[somethingroma]

> you have to get deeper and deeper into niche subreddits to find worthwhile discussions.

Which raises the question wouldn't that be better served with a forum...

[plopz]

I think the issue with many disparate forums is discoverability.

[le-mark]

This seems to be the key/blocker for a decentralized internet, well social apps at least. If someone can solve discoverability, it'll make a lot of things possible.

[oblio]

How does it punish you for blocking ads? Honest question.

[jjoonathan]

It punishes you by not working until you give it an exception.