Yesterday, Gizmochina posted about a Reddit AMA (Ask me Anything) that was hosted earlier today. Reddit CEO, Steve Huffman participated in the discussion to address the controversy surrounding the company’s recently announced API changes that look similar to Twitter’s API changes introduced only last month. These changes have resulted in several popular third-party Reddit apps announcing their imminent shutdown. While Huffman promised improvements to Reddit’s own app, he remained firm on pricing and other pressing issues, causing further dissatisfaction among the Reddit community. This was sort of expected since the company CEO and others clearly have the power to ignore whatever questions they want.
A clash between Huffman and Selig (Apollo CEO) also came to light during the AMA
Huffman stated that Reddit needs to be a self-sustaining business and can no longer subsidize commercial entities requiring extensive data use. As a result, some apps like Apollo, Reddit is Fun, and Sync have decided to shut down due to the unfavorable pricing structure that doesn’t align with the applications themselves. While Huffman acknowledged some missteps in the API rollout, he very clearly evaded any questions about the company’s relationship with third-party developers, frustrating a lot of redditors.
Numerous developers voiced their frustration online, claiming that Reddit had ignored their attempts to contact the company, despite using the recommended communication channels. Huffman apologized for the oversight and assured developers that the company would respond to their inquiries.
During the AMA, Huffman also accused Christian Selig, the developer of Apollo, of threatening the company. Selig promptly debunked the claim with an audio clip of a phone call with a Reddit representative. Huffman defended the accusation, criticizing Selig’s behavior without providing any form of evidence. The situation further strained the already tense relationship between Reddit and third-party developers.
Huffman did acknowledge the need for improvement in Reddit’s own app, specifically in moderation tools and accessibility features. These areas are frequently cited by Redditors who prefer third-party apps over the native option. Huffman also explained that the restriction on sexually explicit content in third-party apps was due to evolving regulatory and legal concerns.
One significant issue that Huffman did not address was the exorbitant pricing of the API, which developers deemed unaffordable. Additionally, he remained silent on the impending blackout planned by thousands of subreddits in protest of the API changes.
The Reddit AMA concluded with Huffman responding to only 14 questions. All the responses from the Reddit team were heavily downvoted within the AMA thread. This negative reception highlighted the already-apparent dissatisfaction of the community with the company’s handling of the situation.
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(Via)
