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by Zamiel_Snawley 1105 days ago
If they had made prudent allowances for uses of the API other than 3rd party frontends, this likely would have been a much smaller deal.

Moderators(who are doing tons of free work to make reddit a tolerable place) use API based tools to help them moderate. If reddit is going to make their (volunteer!) job harder, why shouldn't they just pack up and leave?

The official reddit app reportedly does not make adequate accommodations for some disabled users, but dedicated third party developers did. They later said that they would give exemptions for accessibility use cases, but stipulated that they could not charge for their service. Some people the perceived this as: "we won't make our app accessible, we'll give permission to do free labor for us if you want, but don't you dare try to get paid for it."

Then there is the disingenuous interactions with the Apollo developer.

All-in-all, people think that reddit is acting in bad faith.

1 comments

Bad faith huh ?

()Allowances ? You mean don't ask them for more money, even though those apps are making money. How is this a good business idea? I mean for Reddit. ---------------- ()Moderators are not forced to work for free. If they do, they are doing this willingly and if they choose to quit, nobody is blaming them. ---------------- ()If original reddit app doesn't make accommodations for handicapped people, it is neither the duty of the 3rd party apps to provide them nor to enforce them. It is just a fringe angle reddit opponents are bringing forward. It is not why this ordeal got so out of proportion. ---------------- ()... we won't make our app accessible, we'll give permission to do free labor for us if you want, but don't you dare try to get paid for it. ... Although it may not be the wisest idea, the owners of the walled garden can say this and it is up to those non-compensated moderators to stay or leave. It has nothing to do with the 3rd party apps ---------------- (*)After all, is said and done, reddit wants more money out of the pot. So does the 3rd party app developers. It is like a Mexican standoff. And I can guarantee you, first party to blink will not be reddit.