cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/300452

Prompt:

Please provide a brief summary of the current situation with Reddit and API access written in the style of “ELI5” - In addition, provide the 3 most likely outcomes and the % liklihood for each of the 3 to turn out.

Response:

Okay, I’ll try to explain it like you’re five. Reddit is a website where people can post and comment on different topics. Some of these topics are called subreddits and they have their own rules and moderators. Moderators are people who help keep the subreddits clean and safe.

Some people like to use other apps or websites to browse Reddit instead of the official one. These apps or websites need to talk to Reddit using a special language called API. API is like a phone line that lets them ask Reddit for information and send commands. For example, if you want to see the posts in r/aww using an app, the app will use API to ask Reddit to show you the cute pictures.

Reddit used to let these apps or websites use API for free as long as they followed some rules and didn’t make money from it. But recently, Reddit announced that they will start charging money for using API if the apps or websites make more than $1000 per month³⁴. This made some moderators very angry because they think Reddit is being greedy and unfair. They also think that this will hurt the users who like to use different apps or websites to enjoy Reddit.

So some moderators decided to protest by making their subreddits go dark, which means that no one can see or post anything there³⁴. They hope that this will make Reddit change their mind and stop charging money for using API. They also want Reddit to listen to their feedback and improve their communication with the developers and moderators.

The three most likely outcomes of this situation are:

• Reddit backs down and cancels the API fees, or lowers them significantly. This might happen if the protest gets a lot of attention and support from the users and the media, and if Reddit realizes that they are losing traffic and reputation. The likelihood of this outcome is about 40%.
• Reddit sticks to their decision and enforces the API fees, or offers some compromises or incentives. This might happen if Reddit thinks that the protest is not effective enough or that they can afford to lose some users and subreddits. They might also try to appease the developers and moderators by giving them some benefits or discounts for using API. The likelihood of this outcome is about 50%.
• Reddit and the protesters reach a stalemate and nothing changes. This might happen if neither side is willing to budge or negotiate, and if the protest loses momentum or gets overshadowed by other events. The users might also get used to the new situation and adapt to it. The likelihood of this outcome is about 10%.

I hope this helps you understand the current situation with Reddit and API access.