this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2023
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The company wants to charge for API access. Its volunteer moderators have other ideas

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[–] snowe@programming.dev 36 points 1 year ago (13 children)

This article has so many inaccuracies… I haven’t talked with a single person that thinks Reddit shouldn’t charge for api access. And the final comment about being legally obligated to pursue profit is just factually incorrect. https://legislate.ai/blog/does-the-law-require-public-companies-to-maximise-shareholder-value

You can find plenty of other sources just like that one saying the same thing. I’m pretty sick of this myth, because it gives all these companies a bogeyman to hide behind.

[–] mem_somerville_kbin@kbin.social 14 points 1 year ago (6 children)

This point struck me too:

Reddit is under no obligation to make its API free. But, it seems, the company has overreached in enforcing the new policy. If its target is the largest AI firms, then it should focus on curbing their parasitic proclivities and not going after beloved and useful software its users and moderators depend on.

This is my feeling. I understand that it could cost something. But the eye-watering rates for the small fish and the speed of the extortion is the issue.

[–] Banzai51@midwest.social 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Because the point isn't the costs of the API. Reddit wants all its users to go through the official access points, the Reddit app and the redesigned web. This will allow them to hover the maximum data to sell and ensure ads flow.

[–] xuxebiko@kbin.social 5 points 1 year ago

They should've just been effing upfront about it instead of trying to scapegoat API creators. Did they think users are too dense to understand what they were/are really up to?

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