this post was submitted on 29 Sep 2023
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Does this reflect how the platform is actually doing or do we just like the circlejerk of wishing they would fail? Because everything I've seen says Reddit has been completely unaffected by the changes made and they're still getting more user signups, engagements and interaction/posts than ever.
Tik Tok also seems to be growing strong.
Twitter is a genuine laughing stalk and is pulling major shit.....but everyone still seems to be using it regularly.
if you have been back to reddit, they might have growing numbers (probably due to shitty practices forcing you to use their app instead of mobile browser) etc. but the quality of discussions and the amount of bots just reposting the same comments skyrocketed.
I mean it's a huge site, it won't die, but if you look at it that way, Facebook is still alive, do you have a desire to spend time on that site though?
Pleased to say I haven't been back to Reddit (except to scrub my entire history there to nuke my account). Reddit quality going completely down the toilet is something seen long before these changes were made. It's really sad to see that companies aren't forced to make better products because people will put time and money into these shit platforms regardless.
yeah I already noticed the downhill trend before the API changes but after it really went into a nosedive, expectedly the power users posting good shit just left, so rage bait reposts are the trending things.
I have been back to reddit to check things out from time to time. The quality has definitely degraded, and their changes to not seeing NSFW stuff without logging in or using their app has me visiting less and less.
The comment section is still nice, but I just don't see the quality it once had.
We can take a look at the comment count on major subreddits over time. Using the top 5 most commented listed on Subreddit Stats, and then using Social Rise to see comments per day (go down to "Graph of" and click "comments").
All except Starfield show comments cratering at the beginning of July, and they're not coming back. Obviously, Starfield is a special case given the release of the game. AITAH was also just starting to pick up and then had its jugular cut out. Across the board, there looks to be a 3 or 4 times reduction in comment rates.
Now, perhaps the site is still OK among the more niche subreddits. That'd take a lot longer to analyze. But it's clear the big traffic drivers are not pulling people in anymore.
While I overall agree this seems to be the case at first glance, I do notice that august there’s a huge drop that correlates with school starting up again. Probably need to compare to previous summers.
Edit: looks like it's still pretty huge even accounting for that
The graphs there go back to 2018. There aren't drops anywhere close to what we're seeing.
Good to know, i was having trouble on mobile with it. Thanks!
I'm glad I left that site. They just view us all as little addicts and have lost any semblance of caring about what made reddit work in the first place.
If popularity was all that mattered, McDonalds would have Michelin stars.
Only a good 0.1% of reddit actually "creates content" with the rest having only engagement via comments. A good 99% of those also don't do anything but lurk.
The people that make the content are also the ones more likely to switch to alternatives.
It's an engagement loop so while the amount of signups and accounts is unchanged, there is simply less content to keep people around and to monetize.
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I believe that s shifting the burden of proof.
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the burden of proof lays in the eye of the beholder or whatever the quote is. i'm not a lawyer.
The burden of proof lies in the eyes of the Christian god! And as a fellow Muslim, I can say nothing about it, but He might speak through me and say that Reddit became a place without much new content.
If I'm understanding the mythos correctly, those are the same god, so you're covered.
I don't save sources in case of future need for references. I haven't written a thesis on the matter. It came up in a few articles in my tech news RSS feeds. You're welcome to not believe me and I would readily consider contrary information anyone else offers it.
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Reddit is driven by search traffic and the results got a lot worse since a lot of good posters quit. They lost the content but not the users yet, I think it's just going to take a long time before they truly see the damage in their traffic statistics!
The google-Reddit search got really screwed up when the private subs numbered 7-8000. I’m curious if there have been any lingering effects.
Yeah Reddit just became more like Facebook which is disappointing, but not a dumpster fire.
Twitter is a radioactive dumpster fire that's spawning mutant fire rats. There's really no comparison.
I just have a hard time believing this when the_donald started on reddit. The site has been an incubator for right wing actors for years. Even the infamous Stormfront recognized the opportunities for recruitment there years ago.
I care insofar as seeing how badly they can screw up