https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/124whzg/changelog_new_ways_to_find_communities_mod/
created by BrineOfTheTimes on 28/03/2023 at 17:44 UTC
198 upvotes, 130 top-level comments (showing 25)
Hello, Reddit! Thanks[1] for stopping by our post. A few weeks have passed, and it’s officially Changelog time.
1: https://i.redd.it/t3fekp3amiqa1.gif
If you’ve got a few minutes and are curious about our latest product news, pull up a seat, grab a cup of tea[2], and scroll with us, why don’t ya? Today’s Changelog covers a handful of updates – from tools to find new communities, to optional text on all post types and some deprecation info.
2: https://i.redd.it/u6c73nnlmiqa1.gif
Sometimes you find a cool community in your feed that you want to follow. Sometimes you want more. And more. And - ok, ok, you get it. Point is, we know it can be hard to find new communities, especially for people just getting started on Reddit, and we want to make it easier.
Some of you may already see that we’re testing a new in-feed experience that displays related communities when you follow a new community. It’s like a buffet of new communities! We’re testing this with a percentage of users over the next several weeks while we learn more about the experience.
Screengrab of Home Feed section showing related subreddits
If you’re mod and don’t want your subreddit displayed in this experience, you can go to mod tools > moderation > safety > “get recommended to individual redditors” setting.
We recently made the difficult decisions to sunset Reddit Talk and Predictions.
For Talk, we saw passionate communities adopt and embrace the audio space. We didn’t plan on sunsetting Talk in the short term, however the resources needed to maintain the service increased substantially.
As of March 22nd, Talk has been shut down. You can find more details in the r/reddittalk[3] post here[4].
3: https://www.reddit.com/r/reddittalk/
4: https://www.reddit.com/r/RedditTalk/comments/11m4ijn/sunsetting_reddit_talk/
With Predictions, we saw some amazing communities create fun (and often long-standing) community activities. However, we had to make a tough trade-off on products as part of our efforts to make Reddit simpler[5], easier to navigate, and participate in. Sunsetting Predictions allows us to build products with broader impact that can help serve more mods and redditors. Predictions is targeted to shutdown in early May.
5: https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/11l3td9/making_redditing_simpler/
More information Predictions and Talk can be found in the help center, here[6] and here[7], respectively.
6: https://reddit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4407383251860-What-are-Predictions-
7: https://reddit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4404349195284-What-is-Reddit-Talk-
It might sound weird to talk about how we want to build new features to improve chat on Reddit while also sharing that we’re turning off an existing Live Chat feature – but it’s true.
We’ll be winding down Live Chat Reactions (or the ability to smile at a fellow chatter’s comment) in the coming weeks to focus on chat features that more people can use and enjoy.
As a reminder, we shared last month that we’re migrating to a new Reddit Chat[8]. We’ll continue to share more chat updates in the coming months.
8: https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/11fbf53/changelog_supporting_more_languages_mobile/
Read more about Live Chat here[9].
9: https://reddit.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/7912394843412-What-is-a-live-chat-
Last week we shared the news around improving our web experience[10]. What we missed in the original post was that – related to these changes – compact and i.reddit.com are being wound down. These changes will fully be in effect by the end of today.
10: https://www.reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/11zso11/an_improved_web_experience/
We also plan to deprecate the AMP platform later this year as well. Timing on this is TBD.
We know that some redditors are strong fans of these platforms, particularly compact and i.reddit. However, this decision is similar to Predictions and Live Chat Reactions above. In other words, by reducing the number of ways Reddit can be accessed, we can better focus on building an overall simpler, stronger platform for all.
That said, the communication around this set of updates should have come earlier, and we'll work harder to make sure our updates to y'all are more timely.
Note: The changes to i.reddit.com and compact, and the ones coming to amp do not impact old.reddit or image hosting on i.redd.it (yes this is different and yes it’s confusing).
We’re launching an update this week to let redditors add optional text to their video, image, gallery, and link posts. Communities that require submission statements or additional context to accompany a video, image, gallery, or link post can now consolidate these requirements into the original submission without the need for strict title requirements, Automoderator, or sticky comments. Communities will still be able to restrict post text body requirements for these post types as well as target the body using current Automoderator rules. Here’s what it looks like:
​
Mobile display of optional text feature
A few weeks ago, we launched[11] Mod Insights, a new data tool designed to give mods better insight and understanding into what’s happening in their subreddit**.** The tool dives into info like Community Growth, Team Health, and Community Health, to help mods feel more equipped to make decisions and build community. Get more details in the announcement post here[12].
Recently we made it easier for mods to manage their communities while on the go, when we launched[13] the capability to manage your removal reasons from a mobile device. Mods will now be able to create, edit and delete their subreddit’s removal reasons from their Android device (iOS is soon to follow!). Learn more about the details within our announcement post[14].
13: https://new.reddit.com/r/modnews/comments/11n2rbk/managing_your_removal_reasons_on_mobile/
14: https://new.reddit.com/r/modnews/comments/11n2rbk/managing_your_removal_reasons_on_mobile/
For more mod-related news, head over to r/ModNews[15].
15: https://new.reddit.com/r/modnews/comments/uj5azz/may_mod_experience_product_updates/
And that’s today’s Changelog, y’all. If you have any questions about these updates, please holler in the comments – we’ll be sticking around for a bit to reply.
Comment by [deleted] at 28/03/2023 at 18:49 UTC
91 upvotes, 9 direct replies
And no longer block ads by blocking the advertiser account.
The amount of ads has become ridiculous now.
Comment by [deleted] at 28/03/2023 at 19:38 UTC
85 upvotes, 3 direct replies
[deleted]
Comment by couchrealistic at 28/03/2023 at 19:43 UTC
81 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Have you looked at the actual HTML source code of a typical reddit page in "new" design? Like, almost a full megabyte of CSS spam on each page, not even counting any external resources from other files like JS?
Do you really expect my entry-level smartphone to download, decompress and then parse and execute and render all that stuff within a reasonable time? i.reddit.com[1] was the only sane way to access reddit through web on my phone. It's bad enough on my desktop computer.
(Old reddit is fast enough on my phone, but its usability on small touch screens is poor, with small links etc.)
Comment by Canis_Familiaris at 28/03/2023 at 20:49 UTC
55 upvotes, 1 direct replies
I don't want predictions, live chat, or anything like that. I just want:
Mini thumbnail - Vote - title - number of comments
Repeat
Ads interspersed (unavoidable, I get its a business)
Repeat
You know what did that? Compact. It loaded fast and was easy to navigate. Please bring it back.
Comment by OCASM at 28/03/2023 at 19:17 UTC
52 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Bring compact back. The main website version is trash.
Comment by SevereChocolate5647 at 28/03/2023 at 19:45 UTC
94 upvotes, 2 direct replies
What sort of timeline can we expect the a11y issues to be fixed in the new mobile design? As it stands, using the desktop version of old.reddit.com is more accessible to me than the new mobile version. In case you don't read my other comment, which has screenshots and videos of a11y issues, here are the pertinent questions about how a11y is handled at Reddit:
1. How and when do you define your a11y requirements for features?
2. Which version of the WCAG are you following, and what level of compliance is your goal? If not WCAG, what are your a11y requirements based on?
3. What a11y training, if any, do your designers, product owners, and developers have? Do you have any dedicated staff with a11y experience in any department?
4. What sort of testing is done to ensure requirements are met, and by whom? Do you have any automated tests to catch the low-hanging fruit? Note that automation can only catch about 40% of a11y issues as so much of it is, frustratingly and by definition, dependent on human interpretation.
5. Do you perform any internal or external audits to find a11y bugs?
6. How are a11y bugs prioritized against other development work?
I asked these same questions to u/joyventure on the previous post but did not get a response to either the questions or the requested screenshots/recordings of various a11y issues.
Comment by NikkoJT at 28/03/2023 at 21:04 UTC
41 upvotes, 3 direct replies
When are you going to address the fact that new Reddit sucks on mobile? You keep trying every way you can to make everyone use it, and you never confront the reason why no one fucking wants to. You wouldn't be having this struggle if you made the new site good. Why not do it? Why insist on annoying everyone with terrible design choices?
Comment by beIIe-and-sebastian at 28/03/2023 at 19:05 UTC
132 upvotes, 5 direct replies
Old.Reddit.com
haha i'm in danger.
Comment by [deleted] at 28/03/2023 at 19:09 UTC
36 upvotes, 1 direct replies
[deleted]
Comment by genericusername123 at 28/03/2023 at 22:04 UTC*
34 upvotes, 2 direct replies
How can you look at this and tell us with a straight face that it's improving our web experience.
This is a cash grab to drive us to look at more ads. This is the most disappointed I've been with reddit in my nearly 14 years here.
Comment by ashamed-of-yourself at 28/03/2023 at 17:52 UTC
67 upvotes, 0 direct replies
integrated text on all post types is one of those things that *should* have been available all along; glad to see the feature finally added.
Comment by jayeebee at 28/03/2023 at 19:29 UTC
31 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Removing compact sucks, your app and website are hot trash garbage on mobile and load slower than hell. Braindead move.
Comment by Portponky at 28/03/2023 at 17:52 UTC
95 upvotes, 8 direct replies
Very sad to see i.reddit.com go, I find the regular interface absolutely terrible on mobile, so that's made reddit inaccessible for me. Just the way things go, I guess.
Comment by desdendelle at 28/03/2023 at 17:51 UTC
20 upvotes, 2 direct replies
(yes this is different and yes it’s confusing)
I am, indeed, confused. What's the difference?
Comment by [deleted] at 28/03/2023 at 18:01 UTC
21 upvotes, 4 direct replies
[deleted]
Comment by TehWildMan_ at 28/03/2023 at 19:17 UTC*
20 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Screw reddit for removing the compact interface.
Reddit is now entirely unusable on mobile. 10 year old account, considering leaving the site entirely now.
Thanks (/sarcasm)
Comment by Callsyouatool at 28/03/2023 at 23:01 UTC
18 upvotes, 2 direct replies
Killing compact without any notice (like not even a banner saying "this is going away") is low. I know we were a small part of the userbase, but like, come on.
Comment by kristoferen at 28/03/2023 at 19:48 UTC
18 upvotes, 0 direct replies
i/.compact is the only good version of reddit on a mobile browser. This change is terrible.
Comment by togetherwem0m0 at 28/03/2023 at 18:12 UTC*
62 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Dude I can't use reddit without i.reddit
What the hell.
This is like digg.com level nonsense all over again
Comment by ItsRainbow at 28/03/2023 at 22:45 UTC*
18 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Very disappointed to see the lightning-fast mobile sites vanish. The old sites allowed pretty much any device from the last 15 years to use Reddit and it was super helpful to those on slow connections. I can’t imagine this putting much maintenance burden on you guys. The current mobile website has gotten more and more unusable over the past few years to push people over to the app and this change just seems like more of that. If it weren’t for moderators I’m sure you guys would’ve removed the old desktop website years ago too.
Edit: The current mobile website also has various accessibility issues[1] that have not been addressed. Do better.
1: https://reddit.com/r/reddit/comments/11zso11/an_improved_web_experience/jdl1ala
Comment by turboevoluzione at 28/03/2023 at 18:36 UTC
43 upvotes, 2 direct replies
There's a reason I switched to i.reddit.com 3-4 years ago: you had ruined the mobile website in every possible way.
There is too much wasted space, it's full of useless features and you constantly get nagged about the app (also making it impossible to access NSFW content). The modern mobile website also takes ages to load in comparison, so let's not pretend it's "simpler" and "stronger".
Comment by zorton213 at 28/03/2023 at 20:10 UTC
16 upvotes, 0 direct replies
This really sucks for mobile browser users. The UI of the mobile site is markedly worse than .compact.
Where .compact was able to comfortably fit 10 posts on my screen, mobile can only fit 5, and somehow has LESS information (submitter is hidden in a menu and host website is now the name of the site slovenly placed over the thumbnail with no URL).
There also seems to be no way to search just the subreddit you're in without running the search first and then selecting to.
Comment by austinTbird at 28/03/2023 at 22:34 UTC
15 upvotes, 0 direct replies
"If you have any questions about these updates, please holler in the comments – we’ll be sticking around for a bit to reply."
Proceeds to answer a grand total of 1 question :-P
"by reducing the number of ways Reddit can be accessed, we can better focus on building an overall simpler, stronger platform for all."
Decoding corp speak: We want to funnel everyone into the channel where we make the most money and pad our stats for investor relations, which is the app.
Comment by Snowy-Arctica at 28/03/2023 at 23:21 UTC
14 upvotes, 1 direct replies
This is disgusting. Look, I understand why Talk has to go. But compact? Really? Who's the person making these decisions? It's clear they're doing this to increase ad revenue. We don't want Reddit to get dummied down. If you want to shove more annoying and fake post ads in our faces, then please at least make the app enjoyable to use.
Comment by A_Lone_Macaron at 28/03/2023 at 20:49 UTC
13 upvotes, 0 direct replies
Thanks for getting rid of compact. Now with all of the terrible ads everywhere, I can stop visiting the site so much.
