Re:Rob 'CmdrTaco' Malda – Hacker History Podcast
by fturst on Thursday October 26, 2023 @03:15PM
(#38030422)
I dont think Reddit would want to make their own internal metrics worse, they arent getting paid for that. They needed to go mainstream though, and the best working tactic out there was (still kinda is) simplification and infinite scroll. Reddit did both.
For example, subreddits used to have FAQs and wikis in the sidebar. The redesign hid all that, so on many subs people are asking the same questions over and over again. Mods who lock such posts and refer posters to a FAQ, often get lambasted by the community, who can’t see any FAQ. This may have been an intentional part of the redesign, since repetitive posting registers as greater “engagement” for Reddit’s metrics.