1 upvotes, 20 direct replies (showing 20)
View submission: Announcing Online Presence Indicators
Hello again, Reddit
Last week we announced the first phase of a new feature, Online Presence Indicator[1]. Thank you to everyone for the feedback on that post and for raising the concerns that many of you had.
1: https://new.reddit.com/r/changelog/comments/lx08r2/announcing_online_presence_indicators/
We’re back today to better address several of the safety and privacy considerations for this feature, in addition to letting you know about our latest rollout plans.
Several user concerns brought up in last week’s post were already being incorporated in updates we were making to the feature prior to the next rollout phase, and we’ve also made a few new changes based on feedback from you all. All of these updates and changes are outlined below:
Starting this week, we’re going to roll out a public-facing version of this feature to 10% of our Android users. That subset of Android users will be able to see the presence indicators of any other users who have toggled the feature “On.” If you have toggled the feature “Off” no one will be able to view that decision and no indicator would show up next to your avatar.
Over the coming weeks and months we will gradually roll this out to more users and we will be sure to update this post as we go along. We’ll also be utilizing our announcement banner to keep users up to date on our progress and our latest rollout plans with this feature.
Comment by [deleted] at 22/03/2021 at 19:59 UTC
4 upvotes, 1 direct replies
PLEASE stop setting these things to automatically be on - ESPECIALLY privacy things.
I've been unaware that I'm broadcasting my online status because I don't always get to see the updates. So I was super frustrated to find that I've been online for all to see without any prior consent.
Comment by mmmoist at 16/03/2021 at 22:16 UTC
21 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Please please please make this an opt-in feature instead of opt-out. I only stumbled on this post by accident, and would probably have missed it even if it was posted in /r/announcements.
It makes me super uncomfortable that anyone could have been able to track my status had I not caught this post. Sure yes I know the advertisers are reddit's customers, not the users, but this feels outright hostile. We're not stupid, at least be honest with us instead of repeating how you're listening.
Comment by leytod at 17/03/2021 at 13:04 UTC
8 upvotes, 0 direct replies
What a stupid idea. Of all the things that Reddit needs to improve or add **this** is what you told your developers was at the top of the list?
could be beneficial to some of our communities
Obviously this is happening because of Reddit's dreams of going to IPO in the next year and the completely-disconnected-stupid C-office types think online status green dots are what investors value in a company.
Comment by ultimatt42 at 16/03/2021 at 22:47 UTC
33 upvotes, 1 direct replies
You made some changes but you didn't make the most important change:
Comment by Im_Finally_Free at 16/03/2021 at 22:42 UTC
13 upvotes, 2 direct replies
This should really be a new post rather than hiding it (again) from your users in a 13 day old post.
If a user is banned from a subreddit, they will not be able to see the online status indicators of other users within that subreddit.
But they can easily go to **any other subreddit** you have commented or posted in and see your online status. This was repeatedly highlighted as having potential for abuse.
Comment by purvel at 18/03/2021 at 11:31 UTC
8 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Yeah fuck off with this. You didn't announce the change and now you leave it as opt-out instead of opt-in??
Comment by ahackercalled4chan at 18/03/2021 at 15:14 UTC
6 upvotes, 0 direct replies
this stickied comment should be its own post. you know very well that hardly anyone goes back to check a two-week old post.
shady as fuck
Comment by bipolar2boogaloo at 05/04/2021 at 20:34 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
“hiding”?! are you freaking serious. shame on you all for even thinking that was okay in the first place. also this whole idea is stupid, and your continuing to move forward with this change regardless of sooo many users saying NO, speaks volumes. loud, ear drum damaging, privacy violating, user endangering volumes.
Comment by BAN_CIRCUMNAVIGATING at 18/03/2021 at 18:05 UTC
2 upvotes, 0 direct replies
That subset of Android users will be able to see the presence indicators of any other users who have toggled the feature “On.”
Comment by Tib71 at 18/03/2021 at 15:22 UTC
3 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Booo you are making this site worse
Comment by brbposting at 18/03/2021 at 22:24 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
and
Comment by [deleted] at 19/03/2021 at 02:04 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
What would have to happen for you guys to abandon this idea? I would have thought it was an overwhelmingly negative response from the community. There's not a single comment, not one, in favor of this change, yet that is apparently not enough. What else would have to happen to get this to be removed and scrapped?
Comment by BossRedRanger at 22/03/2021 at 00:50 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
There is no benefit to users for this feature.
Please just be transparent about what your monetization goals for this feature would be.
Comment by Joebyrd1 at 23/03/2021 at 05:02 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Just another reminder that you really don't give a shit about the overwhelming negativity that comes from this. Your board of directors must be a bunch of old people that really only give a shit about numbers. "Hey guys! I did a thing that a millions users have already adopted! *under breath* forcibly and without any prior knowledge, and we decided to be as shady as possible about it, and the users that do know about it ALL hate it but we don't give a shit because we're going to get a bonus." "You're a genius! Here's a $100 starbucks gift card for all your hard work!"
Comment by [deleted] at 25/03/2021 at 15:33 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
🤢
Comment by DrKronin at 27/03/2021 at 22:41 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Watch, as reddit completely ignores the consensus opinion that this should be off by default. I guarantee it.
Comment by legend_forge at 28/03/2021 at 13:57 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Ive tried to disable it about 10 times today and it just will not work. I disabled this the day it was announced and it just decided to re enable itself with permission.
This is a garbage feature. And the fact you wont let me disable it is bullshit.
Someone needs to do their job.
Comment by Quetz21 at 06/04/2021 at 08:15 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
This should be an opt-in, not an opt-out feature. Set default to off.
Comment by zumba29 at 26/04/2021 at 06:09 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The toggle isn't working, it isn't turning off
Comment by TittyRiot at 13/05/2021 at 21:54 UTC
1 upvotes, 0 direct replies
This isn't currently working for me. I shut it off, and every time I open a new page, it's on again.
Who even asked for this in the first place? It seems pretty universally scorned. I can't even imagine what purpose it's supposed to serve.