https://www.reddit.com/r/blog/comments/mzse3p/control_over_your_followers_spring_avatar_gear_a/
created by BurritoJusticeLeague on 27/04/2021 at 16:30 UTC*
430 upvotes, 141 top-level comments (showing 25)
https://reddit.com/link/mzse3p/video/xjqq5ahmrqv61/player
As you can see from our snazzy new video, we’ve got a lot of updates to share, ranging from the fun to the functional, long-awaited features to the new and experimental. So let’s dive in!
As was announced in r/changelog yesterday[1], this May, redditors will have the ability to view and manage their existing followers list. These updates have been a long time coming and a lot of you have been asking for this for a while, so thanks for your feedback. We’re excited to finally make this change happen. Here’s a peek of what it will look like:
1: https://www.reddit.com/r/changelog/comments/mz36uf/adding_the_ability_to_view_and_manage_whos/
As you can see above, when you visit your profile, there’ll be a link under your description that shows you the number of followers you have and takes you to a searchable list of those followers (in order from your newest to your oldest followers). From there you can choose to follow someone back or visit their profile to learn more about them and take other actions such as blocking or messaging them. And along with announcing this upcoming change, we recently updated how blocking works—now if you block someone they’ll lose the ability to follow you and will automatically be removed from your followers list if they were already.We’ve also heard feedback that some redditors would like to opt-out of letting people follow them altogether. So this functionality will be added during phase two of this rollout, which we plan to ship over the next few months.
Currently, communities can use text threads, images, videos, chats, and live streams to have conversations and hang out with each other. While these are great mediums, there are other times (like when you’re hosting an Q&A or AMA, debating a live event, giving a lecture, or just having casual conversations) where having a live audio talk may be more useful or more fun. To create this new way for redditors to communicate with each other, we’re partnering with interested moderators to explore how audio talks can create cool experiences for their communities.
https://i.redd.it/6wotzgv0rqv61.gif
To get a more detailed walk-through of how Reddit Talk will work head over to the announcement on r/modnews[2], and if you’re a moderator or someone interested in getting early access sign up on the waitlist[3].
3: https://forms.gle/TAR6Ee51o8NzqpGE7
Inspired by spring and summer pursuits celebrated by many of our Reddit communities, there’s a new batch of avatar gear for those who love the outdoors, birdwatching, hiking, or hanging out at the pool or beach. And if you think Earth Day should be every day, there are some fun Earth Day inspired tees for you as well.
And as a special bonus to capitalize on current events, if you have Reddit Premium, you can also turn your avatar’s face into a giant doge head. (And non-Premium doge supporters can get a cool doge onesie.) Check out your profile or reddit.com/avatar[4] to update your look.
4: https://www.reddit.com/avatar
Lots of avatar gear is seasonal, so to see if Reddit Premium members are interested in saving their favorite ski pants or Santa hat all summer long, we’re testing letting them save up to 50 items in their closet. As part of this update, the avatar builder is getting a new look too, which will also be rolling out over the course of the next several weeks.
Over a year ago we launched post requirements—a feature that allows mods to create detailed (you guessed it) post requirements for their communities such as required post flair, banned links from specific domains, restrictions on post length, and more. At the time, we also announced[6] that post requirements will eventually be enforced across all platforms including the API. That day has come, and the update to *POST /api/submit* will officially take place on **April 27, 2021.** After this update, any third-party apps, scripts, or bots that haven’t been updated will start to fail. So to prevent this from happening, mods and developers should double-check that their error handling/display code works with the new error by following the instructions in this post[7]. For more information, and to hear more about ongoing efforts to create less work for mods and share your on over to the r/modnews announcement[8].
5: https://www.reddit.com/r/totallynotrobots/
6: https://www.reddit.com/r/redditdev/comments/ezz3td/upcoming_api_change_post_apisubmit/
7: https://www.reddit.com/r/redditdev/comments/ezz3td/upcoming_api_change_post_apisubmit/
8: https://www.reddit.com/r/modnews/comments/muzrv9/an_important_update_on_post_requirements/
Here’s what’s up with the native apps.
iOS updates and fixes:
Android updates and fixes:
And that’s it for this week. We’ll be hanging around to answer questions and hear your thoughts. Happy Tuesday y’all!
Comment by WildCheese at 27/04/2021 at 17:04 UTC
1273 upvotes, 19 direct replies
We have avatars? Why?
We can have followers? Why?
You're making a voice chat? Why?
What the hell are you turning reddit into?
Comment by Mavamaarten at 27/04/2021 at 17:32 UTC
166 upvotes, 6 direct replies
Live audio conversations, excuse me what the fuck hahaha
Who comes up with these ideas?
Comment by turkeypedal at 27/04/2021 at 21:20 UTC
78 upvotes, 2 direct replies
All you seem to be doing is trying to turn Reddit into a cut rate version of other websites. People aren't going to treat Reddit like Twitter or Facebook. You need to focus on what Reddit is good at--semianonymous discussion and link gathering/filtering. Reddit's main function is as a front page to the Internet, to help you find other things online that you wouldn't see otherwise, and then be able to talk about those things.
Reddit just is not an "influencer"-style platform. And trying to make it one at best wastes development effort, and at worst degrades the experience for others.
Do you not know Reddit's reputation, and how so much of the public does not want to be publicly associated with it? When that happens, trying to do "influencer culture" doesn't really work. Plus the whole underlying concept of Reddit is that you push other people's work, and don't use it to push your own.
You just seem to continually be pushing for Reddit to become something it isn't, in a way that goes against what your core audience actually wants.
You need a renewed focus on what actually matters, about what make Reddit special---what made Reddit as popular as it is. Iterate on making it a better link aggregation, forum, and commenting platform.
Comment by [deleted] at 27/04/2021 at 16:41 UTC*
791 upvotes, 9 direct replies
[deleted]
Comment by devilquak at 27/04/2021 at 16:55 UTC*
611 upvotes, 9 direct replies
Nobody wants to be inundated with ads for seasonal constumes, and you need to respect a user's choice to want to stay out of this. It's been one week of that new pop-up on the sidebar of the official Reddit app and it's already driving me insane.
Edit: grammar
Comment by ieffinglovesoup at 27/04/2021 at 16:49 UTC
688 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Stop turning Reddit into another social media platform
Comment by Mattyman131 at 27/04/2021 at 17:39 UTC
426 upvotes, 7 direct replies
ITT: Reddit staff doesn't give a fuck about your suggestions, they're going to keep making changes that people didn't ask for / don't want. I miss the days when reddit listened to the community
Comment by turnipsoup at 27/04/2021 at 17:36 UTC
644 upvotes, 10 direct replies
When the first 100 comments are almost exclusively 'stop doing this' - you really should question if you're moving in the right direction..
But you won't.
Comment by [deleted] at 27/04/2021 at 18:20 UTC
128 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Wow, this is the most blind/deaf product changes I've seen in a while here. Do you actually think users are asking for *audio chat* and *snoo closets*?! This is a bad joke about what Reddit thinks of it's users, right?
Comment by [deleted] at 27/04/2021 at 17:03 UTC
303 upvotes, 3 direct replies
[deleted]
Comment by HoodiesAndHeels at 28/04/2021 at 00:57 UTC*
56 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Comment by blackrangerpower at 27/04/2021 at 16:34 UTC
609 upvotes, 11 direct replies
I still don’t understand what is the point of Followers.
Comment by doooom at 27/04/2021 at 18:54 UTC
282 upvotes, 4 direct replies
Fuck this. I don't want a fucking avatar with avatar gear. And seriously, an "Avatar gear closet" so that I can save 50 virtual outfits that require hosting a few kilobytes, and I have to get Reddit Premium?
This isn't the fucking Sims. I want a well organized streamlined forum structure where I can post pictures and discuss things. If I wanted to be on Facebook or Twitch or Discord or fucking Club Penguin I would go to those websites.
I've always wondered how Reddit will die and be replaced. Now I know: it won't be that someone else has more features, it will be that someone else has less advertisement and less bloat.
Comment by shiruken at 27/04/2021 at 16:39 UTC*
354 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Reddit Talk is the latest iteration of tech companies "innovating" by outright copying each other. A highly relevant tweet[1].
1: https://twitter.com/McJesse/status/1328874827541737477
Comment by Zarvon at 27/04/2021 at 16:38 UTC
976 upvotes, 5 direct replies
Jesus christ, why? What are you hoping this will promote? If we're on reddit, we clearly didn't want to talk to anyone anyway
Comment by TheMysterioueFella at 27/04/2021 at 17:01 UTC
141 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Holy crap, this is becoming more and more facebookish, nobody asked for a chat app!
Comment by -CorrectOpinion- at 27/04/2021 at 17:48 UTC
91 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I know this is a great pitch to the shareholders because it makes it sound like Reddit is keeping up with the big players like Twitter and Facebook, but to the actual users of the website this is just bizarre. Nobody is asking for these features, and I can absolutely guarantee the vast majority of regular users do not want them. I don’t know what kind of focus groups have been conducted to suggest otherwise but the real evidence is right here in the comments. People use this website because it *isn’t* Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or Twitch. Trying to copy what bigger platforms are doing but worse just means people are going to migrate back to other sites.
Comment by sam3069167 at 27/04/2021 at 16:33 UTC
1535 upvotes, 8 direct replies
No thanks.
Comment by Ruben_NL at 27/04/2021 at 17:05 UTC
284 upvotes, 2 direct replies
WE DON'T WANT ANOTHER FUCKING SOCIAL MEDIA.
Comment by Mattyman131 at 27/04/2021 at 17:36 UTC
120 upvotes, 3 direct replies
Nobody asked for reddit to become a social media platform
Comment by Visualize_ at 27/04/2021 at 17:13 UTC
150 upvotes, 5 direct replies
I always found it weird you implemented followers without having a way to see who is actually following you. Like who greenlighted that idea
Comment by teinimon at 27/04/2021 at 19:55 UTC
39 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Many people run from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc, and come to reddit instead because it was more of a forum. I'm sure you guys are aware of this, and after reading some of the admins comments, I understand why they are making the changes, **but**, most people won't like them, including me.
Please do not force anything at all on your users. I (and many people) dont use reddit to socialize but to learn stuff instead.
I know my comment won't matter, but please don't turn this into a social media shit show.
Comment by Penguin-a-Tron at 27/04/2021 at 17:47 UTC
76 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Can I choose to be unfollowable?
Comment by Cookie-Man at 27/04/2021 at 16:51 UTC*
119 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Why do we even have followers? I just see reddit as this totally unique platform and then you guys add features that pretty much every other social media has? Do you guys yearn to be like Instagram or something? I just don't get it. The platform to me has always been about the community, not the individual user and customizing avatars.
Comment by [deleted] at 27/04/2021 at 18:47 UTC
66 upvotes, 0 direct replies
In case you don't make it to this gem from Reddit, or if they delete it:
That’s correct, **you’ll need to be a subscribed Reddit Premium member to access the closet and, as you pointed out, the custom avatars.** [Emphasis mine]
If your Reddit Premium subscription runs out, then you’ll lose access to the closet but you’ll still keep any Premium gear your avatar is wearing. The Premium app icons work in a similar way—If your subscription runs out, you’ll still keep the Premium icon you currently have, but you won’t be able to switch to any of the new Premium icons. (You can switch back to the free/default icon, however.)
What a horrific joke this site's direction has become.
