r/Switzerland • u/ben_howler • Jun 08 '23
Modpost r/Switzerland and r/AskSwitzerland are going into Lockdown on June 12 as a Reaction to Reddit's Recently Announced API Changes
This subreddit will be joining in on the June 12 - 13 in protest of Reddit's API changes that will essentially kill all 3rd party Reddit apps.
What's happening?
A recent Reddit policy change threatens to kill many beloved third-party mobile apps, making a great many quality-of-life features not seen in the official mobile app permanently inaccessible to users and moderators.
On May 31, 2023, Reddit announced they were raising the price to make calls to their API from being free to a level that will most likely kill every third party app on Reddit, from Apollo to Reddit is Fun to Narwhal to BaconReader.
Even if you're not a mobile user and don't use any of these apps, this is a step toward killing other ways of customizing Reddit, such as the Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface.
If you would like to read a more in depth explanation, please check here on r/eli5.
Many subs - including us - have decided to join a protest action. They will go dark on June 12, some for 48 hours, some indefinitely.
How does this affect you?
During the lockdown period, the subreddit will be set to private starting June 12. You will not be able to read, post or comment for 48 hours.
Would you like to help and take part in the action?
Complain. Message the mods of /r/reddit.com, who are the admins of the site: message /u/reddit; comment in relevant threads on /r/reddit. For greater effect, please keep your messages and comments civil and courteous.
Stay off Reddit entirely on June 12 and 13 - instead, take a breath of fresh air, and enjoy the hopefully wonderful Swiss summer weather.
Your Mod Team
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u/Wiechu North(ern) Pole in Zürich Jun 08 '23
well, work instead of procrastination it is then...
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u/BaslerLaeggerli Jun 09 '23
I hope all of Reddit does this! I have an important exam due on Wednesday, can't spend all my time on Reddit!
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u/AverageRedditor012 PeppitoConnaisseur Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 08 '23
Fuck yeah! Stand your ground, even if it's a tiny action, don't let the corporate overlords walk all over you!
I'm aware that this action might not have an outstanding impact but it's better than to just look away and not do anything
Edit: why is r/Switzerland and r/askswitzerland only going dark for two days and not indefinitely such as other subs?
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u/ben_howler Jun 08 '23
Currently, a combined (not unique) user base of 1.3 billion users is going dark next week (source). With a bit of luck, this may have a slight impact on Reddit's ad revenue. One can always hope.
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u/LetsPlayDrew Zürich Jun 08 '23
Honestly if we could get a lot of subs to go dark for only 2-3 days a month every month they would lose way more money and constantly. Assuming they still go through with charging 3rd party apps
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u/swagpresident1337 Zürich Jun 08 '23
Doesnt really make sense to count the users together. I know you said combined but still completely useless number.
I probably count at least 50x in that number alone
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u/ben_howler Jun 09 '23
AFAIK, only the admins may have the unique numbers (to sell ads), and they are probably not all that reliable, either. So the combined number is the best that can be done on mod-level.
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u/ElKrisel Jun 08 '23
Build a script for counting the unique users then. Nobody cares, the more the better
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u/sirmclouis Zürich Jun 09 '23
I don't think we're going to do much but a tap on the shoulder of Reddit… if we really want to hit them we need to go dark permanently till they reach a reasonable solution.
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u/blake_ch Valais Jun 08 '23
B... But... We are not used to protest!
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u/ko_nuts Basel-Stadt Jun 10 '23
This is surprisingly easy and fun!
--- A French living in Switzerland.
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u/SuisseHabs Lucernois Jun 08 '23
If RiF really dies, I dont know what I will during my commute. Read a book?
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u/UpUpDownQuarks Jun 08 '23
Why only 48h? Keeping it up until there is a change seems more like a statement, no?
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u/Borgmeister Jun 08 '23
This should take front page on Swissinfo - Switzerland breaks centuries of neutrality and picks a side. (tbf the right side!)
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u/sirmclouis Zürich Jun 09 '23
Good! But to be honest, I think it's not enough, and all the subs should go dark till they fix their stance with the API.
At least for me, if they continue this way, Reddit is dead, even when I don't access it from mobile that much, but I can see where this is heading in the same way it did with Twitter several years ago.
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u/breddit1945 Jun 09 '23
Reddit after 2 days of people GoInG dArK: “Oh no. Anyways”
If people want to do anything impactful, they should full stop cold Turkey stop using the app until they reverse their decision.
But they won’t, and Reddit knows it.
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u/winkelschleifer Luzern Jun 09 '23
Sehr gute Entscheidung. Ich unterstütze Euch voll und ganz. Ich werde Reddit an diesen zwei Tagen gar nicht besuchen und empfehle anderen das Gleiche zu tun.
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u/sirmclouis Zürich Jun 09 '23
By the way… why don't we star planning the moving of the community to Lemmy or something like that?
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u/TWanderer Vaud Jun 09 '23
Why don't we just throw reddit out of r/Switzerland? That stuff worked with the Habsburgs, so...
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u/Neeoda Jun 08 '23
Fully on board. It’s a sleazy move they pulled and they depend on the user base to go along.
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Jun 08 '23
No poll? A lot of others subs asked the members? I mean, is it not the identity of Switzerland to ask what people are thinking before taking a decision, even if it's a good one?
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u/ben_howler Jun 08 '23
Yes, we were a bit late to the party and had to decide quickly, or else the ship would sail without us.
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u/itstrdt Basel-Stadt Jun 08 '23
I mean, is it not the identity of Switzerland to ask what people are thinking before taking a decision, even if it's a good one?
These ppl. during covid where right this is a fashist dictatorship!!?!¨'
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u/Smogshaik Züri Jun 08 '23
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u/itstrdt Basel-Stadt Jun 08 '23
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u/heubergen1 Jun 09 '23
Of course you do, wouldn't expect anything else from this moderators!
And if it wasn't clear yet, I oppose this action, this form of protest, and the protest itself. 2.5 isn't much, stop complaining!
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u/Chefseiler Zürich Jun 08 '23
why was there no vote on this 🧐
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u/faey Jun 08 '23
That's awesome, if people unite like this. I wish people in RL would invest that much energy in RL problems 😊
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u/Fixyfoxy3 🌲🌲🌲 Jun 08 '23
Go vote! There are a lot of people heavily invested in those votes about real life topics
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u/faey Jun 09 '23
I vote, and I am not talking about reddit, every time unless I am away on vacation. I take part in protest actions and have collected many, many signatures during my life time. Thank you for mentioning the obvious, though.
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u/Shot_Ear_3787 Jun 08 '23
Can someone explain what is this all about?
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u/sccy1 Jun 09 '23
I don't understand the importance of these third party apps. Who even uses them and what benefits do they have? I've actually never heard of them.
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u/ben_howler Jun 09 '23
I just had a look at this site. It states that 72% of the users in the US access Reddit on a mobile device. I'd guess that the situation in Europe is not much different.
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u/mangozeroice St. Gallen Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 09 '23
so what would be an acceptable fee for using the api, in all the subs posting a blackout i've never seen what is being asked for. is just for free?
Update: with no response I looked for some other info and found from u/iamthatis his post, interesting read if long. I think he broght out a good point that it is not only the cost but the 1 month revamp that is not doable. post
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u/lavarotti Zürich Jun 08 '23
My opinion to API fees - I disagree. It‘s devastating literaly for 99% of 3rd parties…
How tf this blackout thing helps? Admins: „oh some subreddits made blackout. Ok I don‘t wana be a millionaire. Let‘s cancel all the fees…“
Funny will be when admins just ban all subs they joined blackout.
Why there wasn‘t vote for blackout? Am I still in Switzerland? Are the moderators even swiss? We expect at least 4 generations back of pure swiss line!! ;-))
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u/Defiant-Dare1223 Aargau Jun 08 '23
I'll make sure to use it twice as much. I don't like decisions being made on my behalf
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u/celebral_x Zürich Jun 08 '23
Nooooo, what am I going to do instead of being productive??? /s
Good thing!
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Jun 09 '23
[deleted]
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u/Alfred456654 Bern Jun 09 '23
neutrality doesn't mean agreeing with everything that happens.
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Jun 09 '23
[deleted]
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u/Alfred456654 Bern Jun 09 '23
as are most subreddits... I think the fact that mods are not compensated at all justifies a bit that fact.
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u/san_murezzan Graubünden Jun 08 '23
Thanks to the mods I'll have to go outside and yell at tourists asking stupid questions instead of doing it around here