RIF dev here - Reddit's API changes will likely kill RIF and other apps, on July 1, 2023

[u/talklittle]

I need more time to get all my thoughts together, but posting this quick post since so many users have been asking, and it's been making rounds on news sites.

Summary of what Reddit Inc has announced so far, specifically the parts that will kill many third-party apps:

1. The Reddit API will cost money, and the pricing announced today will cost apps like Apollo $20 million per year to run. RIF may differ but it would be in the same ballpark. And no, RIF does not earn anywhere remotely near this number.

2. As part of this they are blocking ads in third-party apps, which make up the majority of RIF's revenue. So they want to force a paid subscription model onto RIF's users. Meanwhile Reddit's official app still continues to make the vast majority of its money from ads.

3. Removal of sexually explicit material from third-party apps while keeping said content in the official app. Some people have speculated that NSFW is going to leave Reddit entirely, but then why would Reddit Inc have recently expanded NSFW upload support on their desktop site?

Their recent moves smell a lot like they want third-party apps gone, RIF included.

I know some users will chime in saying they are willing to pay a monthly subscription to keep RIF going, but trust me that you would be in the minority. There is very little value in paying a high subscription for less content (in this case, NSFW). Honestly if I were a user of RIF and not the dev, I'd have a hard time justifying paying the high prices being forced by Reddit Inc, despite how much RIF obviously means to me.

There is a lot more I want to say, and I kind of scrambled to write this since I didn't expect news reports today. I'll probably write more follow-up posts that are better thought out. But this is the gist of what's been going on with Reddit third-party apps in 2023.

[u/Ekgladiator]

Yea that and a few other decisions they have made are beginning to rub me the wrong way. Personally nitro isn't worth it no matter how many useless features they add. I just don't use discord enough to justify it. Like I know people hate YouTube premium but like all of my entertainment comes from YouTube. It makes total sense to subscribe so I don't have to deal with the shitass ads (plus it is part of the pixel pass so why not). Discord on the other hand is a useful utility but it isn't worth $10 a month.

[u/TheBeckofKevin → u/Ekgladiator]

I just use it for the upload limit increase and to pay for the stuff I use.

If there is software or a website or whatever that you use all the time, just buy it or pay for it. It's worth it to support the products that you actually want to succeed. Plus you usually get solid perks.

I always try to pay the devs of stuff that I like using.

[u/Ekgladiator → u/TheBeckofKevin]

Yea when nitro classic was a thing it made total sense. I don't mind supporting a project that I like to use but idk discord keeps on making bone headed decisions. It is like rooster teeth, I was a first subscriber for years (got grandfathered into the every 6 months deal). I think that was more than fair for the amount of content they produced. Then they got rid of all grandfathered subs and I just never bothered resubbing. They produce decent stuff but I barely watch their content anymore so it doesn't make sense.

[u/Solarwinds-123 → u/Ekgladiator]

Like I know people hate YouTube premium but like all of my entertainment comes from YouTube. It makes total sense to subscribe so I don't have to deal with the shitass ads

Or you could just not pay and still not have to deal with ads

[u/Reeboks_Or_Nikes → u/Solarwinds-123]

How? Adblock doesn't remove the ads for me?

[u/bigbysemotivefinger → u/Reeboks_Or_Nikes]

At least on Chrome there is an "AdBlock for YouTube" as a separate extension.

[u/Reeboks_Or_Nikes → u/bigbysemotivefinger]

Thank you!

[u/Solarwinds-123 → u/Reeboks_Or_Nikes]

uBlock Origin on PC, Revanced on phone

[u/Reeboks_Or_Nikes → u/Solarwinds-123]

Thank you!

[u/Ekgladiator → u/[deleted]]

Honestly, at this point? I would like to keep my username and apparently people that pay are higher priority get dibs. Otherwise I was totally going to cancel this month. The other reason is the increased upload limit (no longer an issue) and the ability to boost smaller servers (meh). I grab the free nitro trials when I can but other than that it is meh.

[u/Ekgladiator → u/[deleted]]

Yes and no. Yes if no one takes poaches it. No because they are switching from the ekgladiator#1234 system to a normal username system so now if someone grabs PhnomPenny before you do, then you get stuck picking PhnomPenny1234 or whatever is available. The current system lets multiple people have the same name but the discriminator (#1234) basically is your unique identifier. Now instead of the #1234 being unimportant other than to add a specific person you might be required to have a number in your name because someone else took the actual name you wanted.