If reddit ever dropped the old.reddit option, that would be the last time I ever use the site. They must know the new (several years old now, I suppose) layout is awful. I can't understand the rational. Maybe it cost a fortune to build and it's sunk-cost fallacy thing.

My theory is that it's easy to hand-wave away those complaints as just coming from Luddites. You don't get the new layout, and are only complaining because you like the old layout and don't want to learn anything new.

Administratively, it feels good to know that I'm doing the right thing, and to know that you will eventually come around to the new layout design. You have to, because I'm right.

That's my theory. Smugness, maybe? Is that it? Overconfidence?

Advertising. It's the root cause of it all. Reddit is actually an advertising company. Their business model consists of attracting people to the site with open forums and then spamming ads. They want people to switch to the app because that way they can collect more data and users can't block ads.

They already have the data and the name recognition. While each is powerful on its own, they are far more powerful (and sticky) together.

That data comes without e-mail addresses, phone numbers, or any real-world identity. They want to become more like Twitter, where people post with their IRL identity. That way your Reddit upvotes can translate into a salesman physically knocking at your door if that's what marketers decide would make the sale.