2 upvotes, 1 direct replies (showing 1)
View submission: Lets talk about those API calls
There's also so much complexity in huge issues of how ads would be shown in other applications that you just can't do that. Youtube does this through a forced player experience, reddit doesn't have such a thing.
But even beyond that, none revenue generating api calls aren't 'free' to serve. It would only make sense if the revenue calls were actually covering the cost of the other api calls however there's other benefits to the network effect and products reddit wants to show you on platform.
Regardless reddit doesn't have such an api or developer platform, and for them to build it would also cost in terms of investment. For a user base that largely uses 3rd party apps to dodge ads because the option reddit presented was cheaper than paying for premium on the site and everyone is mad. So does reddit bleed money because they don't have such a platform and double down invest in such a platform to make 3rd parties financially viable 20 years from now? or do you cut losses today and restrict them with a simple api fee?
Comment by Meepster23 at 06/06/2023 at 19:14 UTC
2 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Yeah most users don't use third party apps to dodge ads... Most use them because the official app sucks ass and hasn't been a thin for all that long comparatively....
If the admins want to kill third party apps they need to put on their grown up pants and fucking say it