Apps

The darkening of Reddit, explained

Here’s what you need to know

Published

June 14, 2023

Luigi Leonardo

It’s easy to see why Reddit is so popular. The platform allows users to hide behind anonymity, creating a freer digital landscape wherein so many different viewpoints can have their say without fear of reciprocation. It also has a subreddit for virtually any interest under the sun. That said, there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. So, when Reddit, as a company, messes with its own platform, the platform’s users are sure to respond in droves.

Lately, you might have caught wind of a maelstrom currently shaking Reddit. Thousands of subreddits have suddenly risen up in protest of some upcoming changes on the platform. Now, whether you’re an active redditor or just a casual observer, whatever happens to Reddit does have meaningful implications on the entire digital world.

The price of profit

It all starts with US$ 20 million. Two weeks ago, Christian Selig, the developer of a third-party Reddit app called Apollo, made public his frustrations with Reddit’s upcoming policy changes. This month, the platform will start charging developers for access to its API. Selig’s app is, of course, affected.

According to Reddit, the changes are meant to prevent companies from using bots to extract information from its users. Unfortunately, stopping larger companies will affect smaller developers much more drastically. Selig is being billed US$ 20 million per year to maintain his popular Reddit client — way above his paygrade.

Apollo isn’t the only casualty. Other clients are being charged as well. Instead of forking over cash they don’t have, a lot of the affected apps are simply just shutting down.

What’s in a Reddit client?

Now, what’s so special about Apollo? Because Reddit offers (or offered) its API more easily, developers created modified versions of the platform. Each had its way of simplifying the experience for its users. One, for example, might allow users to customize how Reddit looks. Another might strip away unused features like the chat function. Some are even more accessible for the disabled.

Reddit does have its own app. However, much like a lot of official apps, the Reddit app forces users into a version of the platform it wants users to experience. Ironically, it doesn’t offer the same number of features as its third-party siblings. It’s also not as accessible. It just sucks.

Going dark in protest

Soon after Selig announced the shutdown of Apollo, a few subreddits announced that they will go private from June 12 to 15 to protest the decision to sell Reddit’s API for exorbitant prices. In this case, “going private” means that these communities will not be accessible by most Reddit users — hence, going dark.

The movement quickly got a lot of traction. As of now, over 8,000 subreddits have gone dark. It even includes some of the platform’s most prolific and active communities, such as r/NBA and r/videos. Because of the massive shutdown, the website went down briefly on Monday. Vast swaths of the site is currently inaccessible.

To further their protest, some subreddits have also extended their shutdown’s duration “indefinitely.” They won’t go back online until Reddit gives in.

Reddit in response

On the second day of the protest, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman brushed the protest aside. In an internal memo (obtained via The Verge), the CEO expects the protests to pass. The company is also doubling down on its upcoming changes, stating that it is “the only long term solution.” To appease some of the protestors, Huffman says that accessibility-focused clients will be exempt from the ruling.

On a final note, Huffman warns his employees to avoid wearing Reddit merchandise in public so as not to attract the crowd’s ire.

How it affects everyone

Reddit isn’t the only platform to cut off third-party developers from its API. Recently, Twitter did the same thing, banning third-party apps altogether.

As Reddit embarks on a similar journey, the digital world has started asking what a platform is. Third-party apps have offered streamlined versions of the world’s most popular platforms. It’s the same platform but in a more convenient package.

While there’s nothing wrong with using official apps, the world of third-party apps have opened up a world of creativity that asks how we, as digital users, consume platforms. Some platforms have even integrated the work done by third-party developers. There’s a world of opportunity in allowing users to experiment.

Currently, it’s unknown whether the ongoing Reddit protests will affect the platform much. However, whatever happens with Reddit will likely affect how other platforms engage with third-party creators and apps in the long run. Others who have yet to crack down on third-party API usage might heed the long-lasting impact of Reddit’s darkening.

Apps

Bumble introduces new logo, better UI, features

Better dating experience

Published

May 4, 2024

Her

Bumble is ushering a new era of dating. The dating app has just rolled out a new brand design. This includes a new logo and user interface with bolder fonts and refreshed colors and illustrations. Along these are many significant updates to the app’s features, giving users better ways to connect with others.

For instance, Bumble has added hundreds of new prompts and have refreshed the prompts UI to help members show off their personalities easier. Shared interests have also been moved to the top of the profiles for users to better spot commonalities. This gives users a snippet of profiles for them to know right away what they have in common. Furthermore, the app has also increased the number of required profile photos to four to boost the likelihood of matches.

Among the new features on Bumble is Opening Moves. This allows women to set a post-match question for their connections to respond to within 24 hours. This facilitates a more meaningful connection and introduces another way to connect outside of Bumble’s Make The First Move. Of course, they may directly message their match even if they haven’t responded to the post-match question.

Meanwhile, Bumble has also expanded its Dating Intentions right from the setup. This is so users can answer the question “What are you hoping to find?” with more accurate choices. Among these are Long Term Relationship, Life Partner, Fun, Casual Dates, Intimacy without commitment, Ethical non-monogamy, and Marriage.

This change stemmed from a Bumble survey that saw 68% of women struggle with people not being upfront about their dating intentions. When browsing, the expanded dating intentions badges will show right below the person’s profile’s “About me” in a section called “I’m looking for.”

Moreover, Bumble has renamed Best Bees to For You. Bumble is employing a new machine learning model to give users their daily set of four curated and relevant profiles based on preferences and past matches.

The changes are part of Bumble’s mantra to empower women to make the first move, flip gender roles, and take control of their dating app experience and dating life in general.

Apps

TikTok regains right to use music from Olivia Rodrigo, BTS, etc.

A new deal has been inked

Published

May 3, 2024

Luigi Leonardo

TikTok lost its voice a few months ago. Back in February, the platform lost its rights to use and offer music from artists affiliated with the Universal Music Group. A few weeks ago, Taylor Swift, the biggest artist in that group, returned to the platform. Now, other artists are following suit.

In an official press release, Universal Music Group has announced a new licensing agreement between its artists and TikTok. As a result, users can once again fill their videos with music from artists such as Olivia Rodrigo and BTS.

With the new deal, TikTok’s woes in the music department are finally at an end. When the past deal ended, Universal initially refused a renewal, alleging that TikTok does not adequately pay artists for the use of their music. Once the deadline passed, TikTok was suddenly silent. Existing videos lost their music, and newly minted ones could not use the most popular selection of songs today.

Not surprisingly, Taylor Swift was ahead of the curve. Presumably because of her ownership over her masters, the world’s biggest musical artist returned to the platform without a new Universal deal. The return also came in time for Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department.

Now, the platform finally has Universal’s entire selection back. If your videos need that extra spice, now’s the time to get back into it.

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift is back on TikTok

Apps

Huawei to release self-developed GoPaint app

Designed specifically for tablets

Published

April 30, 2024

GadgetMatch

Huawei will soon have its own painting app specifically designed for tablets: GoPaint. This makes the manufacturer the first to have its own self-developed painting app.

Huawei already teased its audiences with a short clip posted on its socials with the caption “Creation begins here.” GoPaint will go live on May 7.

The app will come with a wealth of brushes, and brings easy-to-use features for painting. The eventual launch of this app eliminates the need for beginners to download third-party apps, like ibis Paint X and Sketchbook.

With the integration of GoPaint along with Huawei’s capable hardware-software architecture, Huawei is pushing itself to be a creation go-to for tech users. Previously, the brand held a GoPaint Worldwide Creating Activity last year, which saw creators around the world participate.

The app will surely complement Huawei’s recent lineup of tablets which includes the MatePad 11.5 PaperMatte edition and the MatePad Pro 13.2.

The PaperMatte edition tablet eliminates glare and prevents reflection and fingerprints, replicating the feel of traditional paper. On the other hand, the MatePad Pro 13.2 offers users a smooth and seamless experience for creation, work, content consumption, and more.

The MatePad Pro 13.2 particularly features an OLED screen and works with Huawei’s 3rd gen M-Pencil for more than 10,000 pressure sensing levels. Both tablets support multi-device interconnection, remote PC access, and multi-screen collaboration.