a $2 base subscription with an extra $1 for notifications
This for me is the stupid part about this, reddit is forcing developers to paywall any functionality.
Want the app to automatically refresh your subs each day? $0.5 please.
Want faster loads of each sub? $1 (Sleig mentioned Apollo first pulls 20 posts and then 100 to improve loading, so 2 requests instead of 1).
You reached the average number of calls: do you want continue for $1?
(I’m guessing mods take more requests since they have to see more context about users, posts, comments) do you want mod tools? $2
Is mod mail a separate request? If so then: would you like to have it for $1 more?
And on and on with every new feature which requires more requests than normal.
Realistically they’ll probably have to just directly charge users per api calls, just like how Reddit is charging them. All it would take is a few people abusing the app (potentially with bots/automation or even just a super active account that mods a bunch of big subs) and suddenly the dev owes reddit thousands of dollars while they are only receiving $3-10 from the abusive/hyperactive users!
This was my main gripe with the API changes. You would have to pay to keep your 3rd party app (even if just a few bucks a month/year) with all the nice features you got used to over the years and still you are effd because you only get a fraction of the posts via your (now paid) app. The blackout won’t change anything. They would never drop the nsfw restriction so even if they reduce the API price you are still effd if you rely on apps or bots that use the API.
The NSFW filter is going to suck. Not because of porn, I don’t care about being able to access that on Reddit, but because of the NSFW tag culture. For example, in some miniature painting hobby subs, people will mark anything with blood painted on as NSFW. Hell, over the past 3 years I’ve seen more and more text posts get a NSFW tag for swearing.
As much as I want to support Relay after using it for so many years, it would suck not knowing what pseudo-NSFW content is being hidden from me.
I’ve seen cat pics, food pics… hell, even a PLANT pic tagged as NSFW. A lot of absolutely SFW content is going to be affected. It’s infuriating how much reddit is going to be destroyed in a few weeks.
Sad to see it go this way. I used relay for years but I can’t see a world were I’m paying for an app to access reddit and not even have full capabilities.
Ideally something like Infinity for Reddit could be adapted to point to and API translation layer presented by tafkars without too much effort. But it’s still early days on tafkars nor do I know how the instance choice and oauth flow would work since I haven’t delved into the code.
I read elsewhere that the r/rust community it looking into both moving to Lemmy, and dipping into the code to make it better, since it’s coded in Rust.
I’ve used Relay for nearly 10 years, my entire time on Reddit. I’m sad to see things go this way and for the developer to play Reddit’s game. What a disappointment. I would love love LOVE if the same app infrastructure was focused on Lemmy/The Fediverse. It’s such a great app. What a shame to see it go this way.
I can’t blame the guy for protecting his paycheck and trying to make the situation work. This all came suddenly and everyone has IRL expenses to cover. I can’t afford to take a paycut on a purely principled stand, and I’d wager most of us can’t.
On the thread where he shared his thoughts on this plan, he did not rule out the idea of developing for fediverse platforms. He has great vision for UI/UX that I’d welcome over here.
/I/iamthatthis was quoted in the interview as saying he didn’t think the math worked even at $5 given the app store cut and other API prices they pay (eg Imgur). Reddit’s quoted $1 per user per month was laughable, with the top 5% or so users costing $7-8 per month. I just don’t foresee this working out. Hopefully they start allowing you to monitor and log usage or I have a feeling this guys gonna get a nasty bill one month.
Dbrady (the maker of Relay) has pushed multiple updates in the last month optimizing and reducing API calls. He then spent time recording anonymous data to see what the average API calls are, and is basing that pricing on average API calls after the changes.
I can’t see myself doing subscription models for social media. One of the reasons I stopped even trying to find new apps on iOS was that I’d keep running into subscription apps instead of ones I could buy outright. And why on Android I started moving to Foss alternatives.
I used Relay for years. I’d love to support the dev, but no way I’m paying Reddit anything directly or indirectly. They won’t get my money, my content, or even my eyeballs if I can help it. They’re extorting the users and the devs with this, and I’m not gonna reward them for bad behavior. Time to move on.
Exactly my thoughts. $3/month would pay for a lot of server power for a Lemmy instance!
If Reddit charged a reasonable fee for API access and gave at least 6 months notice of the change, and, while we’re at it, didn’t write libel about Christian then we’d be in a very different place right now.
With Reddit doubling down on their misguided changes, I’m just done.
Freaking agreed. If they would have started off with reasonableness and respect for the users I would have paid. Note I’d rather pay 10x more to run a Lemmy instance, ha.
You are not logged in. However you can subscribe from another Fediverse account, for example Lemmy or Mastodon. To do this, paste the following into the search field of your instance: !technology@beehaw.org
Rumors, happenings, and innovations in the technology sphere. If it’s technological news or discussion of technology, it probably belongs here.
So I have to pay monthly for partial access? Hell no.
This for me is the stupid part about this, reddit is forcing developers to paywall any functionality.
Want the app to automatically refresh your subs each day? $0.5 please.
Want faster loads of each sub? $1 (Sleig mentioned Apollo first pulls 20 posts and then 100 to improve loading, so 2 requests instead of 1).
You reached the average number of calls: do you want continue for $1?
(I’m guessing mods take more requests since they have to see more context about users, posts, comments) do you want mod tools? $2
Is mod mail a separate request? If so then: would you like to have it for $1 more?
And on and on with every new feature which requires more requests than normal.
Realistically they’ll probably have to just directly charge users per api calls, just like how Reddit is charging them. All it would take is a few people abusing the app (potentially with bots/automation or even just a super active account that mods a bunch of big subs) and suddenly the dev owes reddit thousands of dollars while they are only receiving $3-10 from the abusive/hyperactive users!
Which people will ignore once they figure out that any post tagged NSFW will not show up because even paid API access will not allow you to see them.
This was my main gripe with the API changes. You would have to pay to keep your 3rd party app (even if just a few bucks a month/year) with all the nice features you got used to over the years and still you are effd because you only get a fraction of the posts via your (now paid) app. The blackout won’t change anything. They would never drop the nsfw restriction so even if they reduce the API price you are still effd if you rely on apps or bots that use the API.
The NSFW filter is going to suck. Not because of porn, I don’t care about being able to access that on Reddit, but because of the NSFW tag culture. For example, in some miniature painting hobby subs, people will mark anything with blood painted on as NSFW. Hell, over the past 3 years I’ve seen more and more text posts get a NSFW tag for swearing.
As much as I want to support Relay after using it for so many years, it would suck not knowing what pseudo-NSFW content is being hidden from me.
I didn’t even think of that, even so many askreddit posts are tagged nsfw.
Because pleas for varying filters outside of NSFW have fallen on deaf ears for over a decade now. Just like every other accessibility feature.
The ‘spoiler’ filter tag is a nice alternative to NSFW…when it works.
Unfortunately, Reddit doesn’t always apply the thumbnail blur, which led to The Mandalorian being spoiled for me. :-(
A lot of subreddits use nsfw as spoiler tagging too
I’ve seen cat pics, food pics… hell, even a PLANT pic tagged as NSFW. A lot of absolutely SFW content is going to be affected. It’s infuriating how much reddit is going to be destroyed in a few weeks.
I wouldn’t feel bad if the money was going to the developer, but it’s going to reddit for a cut-down API with no NSFW. No thanks.
The fact that they are even entertaining the idea of going along with the API changes is just flat out disappointing.
Unfortunately they need to eat as much as we do.
Sad to see it go this way. I used relay for years but I can’t see a world were I’m paying for an app to access reddit and not even have full capabilities.
TBH I’d happily throw some money at dbrady, but the thing is a large portion of it is going straight to Reddit, which I don’t want after this fiasco.
Ummm, no.
I wish all these reddit app devs could develop lemmy apps. The options available are ok, but I’d love to see more.
Ideally something like Infinity for Reddit could be adapted to point to and API translation layer presented by tafkars without too much effort. But it’s still early days on tafkars nor do I know how the instance choice and oauth flow would work since I haven’t delved into the code.
Options as in plural? Is there more than just jerboa?
Lemmur isn’t in development anymore and that’s the only 2 I could find
Edit: Sorry, meant to to reply to the OP
Nah you’re right. I’m using jerboa right now. Not sure what’s out there on iOS.
I would love that too, but for that Lemmy would have to be more stable too. It’s such a disaster right now 😭
I read elsewhere that the r/rust community it looking into both moving to Lemmy, and dipping into the code to make it better, since it’s coded in Rust.
I’ve used Relay for nearly 10 years, my entire time on Reddit. I’m sad to see things go this way and for the developer to play Reddit’s game. What a disappointment. I would love love LOVE if the same app infrastructure was focused on Lemmy/The Fediverse. It’s such a great app. What a shame to see it go this way.
I can’t blame the guy for protecting his paycheck and trying to make the situation work. This all came suddenly and everyone has IRL expenses to cover. I can’t afford to take a paycut on a purely principled stand, and I’d wager most of us can’t.
On the thread where he shared his thoughts on this plan, he did not rule out the idea of developing for fediverse platforms. He has great vision for UI/UX that I’d welcome over here.
Give it time and let things play out.
(edit: spelling)
Relay and dbrady are the best. I’d kill for him to make an app here
/I/iamthatthis was quoted in the interview as saying he didn’t think the math worked even at $5 given the app store cut and other API prices they pay (eg Imgur). Reddit’s quoted $1 per user per month was laughable, with the top 5% or so users costing $7-8 per month. I just don’t foresee this working out. Hopefully they start allowing you to monitor and log usage or I have a feeling this guys gonna get a nasty bill one month.
Dbrady (the maker of Relay) has pushed multiple updates in the last month optimizing and reducing API calls. He then spent time recording anonymous data to see what the average API calls are, and is basing that pricing on average API calls after the changes.
I can’t see myself doing subscription models for social media. One of the reasons I stopped even trying to find new apps on iOS was that I’d keep running into subscription apps instead of ones I could buy outright. And why on Android I started moving to Foss alternatives.
I used Relay for years. I’d love to support the dev, but no way I’m paying Reddit anything directly or indirectly. They won’t get my money, my content, or even my eyeballs if I can help it. They’re extorting the users and the devs with this, and I’m not gonna reward them for bad behavior. Time to move on.
Exactly my thoughts. $3/month would pay for a lot of server power for a Lemmy instance!
If Reddit charged a reasonable fee for API access and gave at least 6 months notice of the change, and, while we’re at it, didn’t write libel about Christian then we’d be in a very different place right now.
With Reddit doubling down on their misguided changes, I’m just done.
Freaking agreed. If they would have started off with reasonableness and respect for the users I would have paid. Note I’d rather pay 10x more to run a Lemmy instance, ha.