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2023-06-10

Reddit CEO doubles down on attack on Apollo developer in drama-filled AMA

  • Reddit CEO Steve Huffman continues to defend the company's unpopular decision to revise its API pricing, leading to the closure of third-party apps, including Apollo.
  • Huffman accused Christian Selig, the developer of Apollo, of operating inefficiently and not being a good "API" user, despite Selig's highlighting the new API pricing would make operating the Apollo app impossible.
  • The community backlash and protest from thousands of subreddits have not caused Huffman or Reddit any concern over the fallout from the API changes, and the company has no intention to delay or reconsider the decision.

Industry Reactions

  • Reddit CEO faced backlash in a drama-filled AMA targeting the Apollo developer, leaving Reddit in a worse position.
  • Reddit is trying to meet profitability plans by IPO, despite a small user base, and needs to establish full transparency.
  • Reddit users and moderators are upset about the company's focus on profits and calls for a "Reddit competitor" that focuses on community, not just profits.
  • ArchiveTeam has saved over 10.8 billion Reddit links and is trying to archive subreddits before they disappear due to Reddit's API cost system change.
  • The group has already archived 10.81 billion links and needs help from people with Windows, MacOS, and Linux devices to archive posts and comments using ArchiveTeam Warrior.
  • This effort aims to ensure that posts from closed subreddits remain accessible in case the API cost change is never resolved.

Industry Reactions

  • ArchiveTeam has saved over 11.2B Reddit links to preserve old posts in subreddits that may go private in protest of recent Reddit API cost changes.
  • Reddit's recent replacement of volunteer moderators' third-party apps with official ones has caused controversy.
  • The ArchiveTeam has completed its download of Reddit, preserving the site's knowledge and conversations.

June 2023 Data Dump is missing

  • Stack Overflow has not released its June 2023 data dump, which is typically updated every three months, and senior leadership has disabled its upload to Archive.org.
  • This is because they are working on a strategy to prevent misuse of the data by companies building large language models (LLMs), and they have temporarily stopped the data dump until they can put guardrails in place.
  • Stack Overflow is seeking compensation from companies tapping its data and will charge AI giants for training data, and previously published content posted by users on the Stack Exchange network is licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Industry Reactions

  • The missing June 2023 data dump for Stack Exchange raises concerns about relying on centralized platforms and storage.
  • Decentralized communication and forking data to create new communities are discussed as alternatives, but there are challenges such as licensing and attribution requirements.
  • Stack Overflow's decision to restrict API access for machine learning models causes controversy among users who fear it could hinder AI advancements, while others defend the company's right to protect its community.

Reddark: Website to watch subreddits going dark

  • This page does not have a main article.
  • This website is best experienced by visiting the website directly.
  • Please visit the website to explore other articles.

Industry Reactions

  • Reddark allows users to watch subreddits going dark, but critics argue it may not have much effect on the company.
  • Some subreddits, including programming humor, may shut down permanently, and moderators express concern about Reddit being out of touch with the community.
  • Reddit's new policies, including the treatment of third-party apps as commercial use and a limit on subreddit "community awards," have caused controversy and potential protests among moderators.

Apollo Back end just made public

  • Developer of Apollo, a Reddit app for iPhone, has made the code for its backend repository publicly available to demonstrate that Apollo does not scrape any data and solely relies on authenticated Reddit API requests.
  • Apollo respects Reddit API rate limits, giving users an enhanced experience while conforming to the requirements set out by Reddit.
  • The release of the backend code is in keeping with the transparency that the project has shown throughout.

Industry Reactions

  • The creator of Apollo's back end has made the code public for educational purposes and has been praised by Reddit users for their effort to make Reddit more enjoyable to use.
  • Discussions regarding software development practices, including leadership expectations and licensing recommendations, and what makes successful code and software development are taking place in the thread.
  • The code is seen as production quality, and users are grateful for its release and transparency despite less-than-optimal practices.

Archive your Reddit data before it's too late

  • Upcoming changes to Reddit's API may cause some subreddits to go dark indefinitely and affect third-party clients.
  • The non-monetary value of Reddit as a knowledge store is priceless, and users can archive their personal data using a Python tool called reddit-user-to-sqlite.
  • The tool allows users to store structured and searchable data in a single file that they can use to perform full-text search on their comments and posts without having to rely on Reddit's search functionality.

Industry Reactions

  • Discussion Service users discuss the value of Reddit accounts and karma, with concerns about echo chambers and spam.
  • The post discusses the purpose of upvoting and downvoting on websites like Hacker News and Reddit, and the impact of users deleting their post history on future readers.
  • Users share techniques and tools for deleting posts and comments on Reddit, but some express concerns about losing valuable information and the lack of permanent, searchable repositories of knowledge.

Shreddit is a Python program to remove all your Reddit comments

  • Shreddit is a Python command line program that removes a user's post history on Reddit systematically, leaving only those whitelisted.
  • It uses PRAW 4 and requires OAuth authentication, but the new library makes it easier to authenticate.
  • Users can set up multiple profiles for different accounts and automate the process using the cron utility.

Industry Reactions

  • Shreddit is a Python program that deletes all Reddit comments, but concerns are raised about the loss of information and troves of discussions.
  • Reddit does not keep track of the history of deleted comments, and some suggest overwriting comments with random text before deleting them.
  • There is a discussion about the archival value of Reddit and the consequences of deleting data from the site.

OpenMW: Open-source TES3: Morrowind reimplementation

  • OpenMW is an open-source game engine that supports playing the game Morrowland.
  • The project has over 66,000 stars on its GitLab page, indicating its popularity among the open-source gaming community.
  • The recent merge of 'dev-7019' branch into the master branch reflects the ongoing development and commitment to the project.

Industry Reactions

  • OpenMW is an open-source reimplementation of the game Morrowind, and its release on GitLab has led to innovative modding of different open-source games.
  • Players enjoy Morrowind with updated graphics and improved performance, and note-taking increases immersion in the game, while some gamers still prefer the original version of Morrowind's unique and intriguing world-building.
  • OpenMW offers stability, moddability, and the potential for someone to create a whole new game for the engine and release it for free, and it has a dedicated Android port and a sister project, TES3MP, which adds multiplayer.

I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print

  • World Book Encyclopedia is the only updated book encyclopedia in print.
  • World Book's encyclopedia also exists as a subscription service through the web.
  • World Book's primary customers are public and school libraries.

Industry Reactions

  • The article discusses the experience and limitations of owning a physical encyclopedia compared to digital resources like Wikipedia.
  • Encyclopedias serve as a starting point for research and offer an overview of human knowledge, shaping interests and the learning process.
  • Nostalgic readers find print encyclopedias more charming and intriguing than modern ones, but there is a debate over the benefits of easily accessible information versus working harder for knowledge.

3M heads to trial in 'existential' $143B forever-chemicals litigation

  • 3M faces the first trial out of 4,000 lawsuits, with an estimated liability of $143 billion for the cleanup of allegedly cancer-linked "forever chemicals" that have contaminated municipal water supplies.
  • The chemicals, called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have been used for decades in everyday products but do not break down naturally and can accumulate in soil, water, and human bodies.
  • The trial, starting on June 5th in federal court, could have significant implications for the company's future and highlights the growing legal and public concern over PFAS pollution.

Industry Reactions

  • 3M is facing a $143B litigation centered around toxic PFAS chemicals that were still legal to use despite being known to be harmful to humans.
  • PFAS is used in everyday products and the trial highlights the importance of regulating chemical use and transparency, especially when it comes to public health.
  • The trial is seen as "existential" as it threatens the existence of life on the planet, while breaking up the company and nationalizing it have been suggested as potential solutions.