Re:Reddit now tracks all outbound link clicks by default, ex...
by shostack on Thursday July 07, 2016 @07:43PM
(#12052781)
When you pull back and look at this and other announcements holistically, the writing on the wall becomes very clear:
Reddit is moving towards more concrete, less anonymous identification of its users, a more advertiser-friendly environment, and a ramp-up in monetization.
Not that people should be surprised. Reddit started as some magical place that got really fun as it reached critical mass. But the business realities of that in terms of funding and everything else eventually will ruin that party. Taking outside investment was one of the final nails in the coffin in that regard because that investment doesn't happen without a significant expected return.
The question is, how quickly can they boil all the frogs in the pot without the majority of them jumping out, and how quickly can they keep filling the pot with new frogs once it is already boiling.
Reddit is moving towards more concrete, less anonymous identification of its users, a more advertiser-friendly environment, and a ramp-up in monetization.
Not that people should be surprised. Reddit started as some magical place that got really fun as it reached critical mass. But the business realities of that in terms of funding and everything else eventually will ruin that party. Taking outside investment was one of the final nails in the coffin in that regard because that investment doesn't happen without a significant expected return.
The question is, how quickly can they boil all the frogs in the pot without the majority of them jumping out, and how quickly can they keep filling the pot with new frogs once it is already boiling.