The Reddit Community in Crisis: A Tumultuous Shift in Power Dynamics

The Reddit community, once seen as a bastion of free discussion and community moderation, appears to be facing a crisis. The platform is grappling with issues of control and power dynamics, particularly with respect to its volunteer moderators, who are beginning to question their roles and the value they provide to the platform​¹​​²​.

In recent weeks, a significant number of Reddit’s volunteer moderators have found themselves at odds with the platform’s management over changes in API pricing. The proposed changes are aimed at third-party apps that pull in Reddit content, many of which could potentially be forced to shut down due to increased costs​²​​³​.

The tension has culminated in a large-scale protest involving thousands of subreddits going private, effectively shutting out users in an attempt to voice their dissatisfaction with the company’s decisions​²​​³​. This protest not only resulted in a temporary site-wide outage due to the sudden shift of so many communities to private but also led to a significant reduction in the platform’s daily traffic​³​.

The core issue stems from the fact that Reddit heavily relies on its unpaid moderators to maintain the platform’s diverse communities. These moderators, who volunteer countless hours to manage their respective subreddits, have found themselves questioning their roles, especially given the recent shifts in control and the platform’s approach towards third-party apps that many communities rely on​¹​​²​.

Some mods have been removed from their positions, and the reasoning behind these removals has not been clearly communicated, leading to confusion and further dissatisfaction among the remaining moderators​¹​. There are reports of mods considering abandoning their posts or already having done so, with some even erasing their accounts​¹​.

The fact that Reddit is planning to go public later in 2023 adds another layer to this ongoing controversy. The platform’s reliance on unpaid labor from moderators creates a unique vulnerability; with no financial cost to themselves, moderators can shut down forums indefinitely, creating potential instability for Reddit’s IPO plans​²​.

Reddit CEO Steve Huffman’s responses in AMAs and other public posts have been met with significant backlash, further fueling discontent within the community. Huffman’s decisions, particularly around the new API pricing policy, have been seen as reflective of poor leadership and a disregard for the community’s needs and concerns​³​.

Moreover, concerns have arisen over how Reddit will manage NSFW content in the future, given its difficulties in monetizing such content. Recent actions by Reddit, such as removing mods and switching some NSFW communities back to SFW, have added to these concerns​¹​.

In conclusion, Reddit is facing a significant challenge. The platform’s success has always been rooted in its community and the volunteer moderators who maintain it. However, recent decisions and actions by Reddit’s management have caused a shift in the power dynamics, leading to a community revolt and leaving many to question their association with Reddit. The ongoing crisis underscores the importance of clear communication, community involvement in decision-making, and fair treatment of those who contribute to a platform’s success. As Reddit heads towards its IPO, resolving these issues will be critical not only for its financial future but also for the continued health and vibrancy of its communities.

Update as of June 23, 2023

Despite the tumultuous shifts in power dynamics and the large-scale protests that once threatened Reddit’s user base, it seems that the platform is slowly regaining stability. According to internet traffic provider SimilarWeb, traffic to Reddit appears to be returning to near-normal levels since the initial protests began​⁴​.

During the height of the protest, over 8,400 subreddits went private for 48 hours, blocking users from accessing them or posting comments. The ensuing “blackout” led to an approximate 7% drop in user traffic and a 16% decrease in time spent on the site​⁴​.

However, user visits and time spent on Reddit have now recovered significantly. User visits reached 56 million on June 18 and 19, up from 52 million on June 13, which was the second day of the protest. The average time spent on the site has also increased, now exceeding eight minutes, a rise from 7 minutes and 17 seconds during the first day of the protest​⁴​.

Despite this recovery, it is crucial to note that not all users have returned, and many subreddits continue to protest in different ways, either by remaining private or devising new methods to voice their dissatisfaction​⁴​. This continued resistance suggests that while Reddit’s user traffic may be stabilizing, the platform’s underlying issues, as previously discussed, remain unresolved.

These ongoing developments underscore the importance of community involvement, clear communication, and fair treatment of volunteer moderators, all of which were emphasized as key factors in the previous article. As Reddit continues its journey towards its planned IPO later this year, it remains to be seen how these factors will impact the platform’s financial future and the health and vibrancy of its communities.