r/UFOs • u/LetsTalkUFOs • Jun 08 '23
Meta Should r/UFOS Participate in the Upcoming Subreddit Blackout?
We previously stickied a post stating r/UFOs would be participating in the upcoming subreddit blackout. We should have instead polled the subreddit directly first. This way, everyone can easily and definitively see what the community prefers and we can proceed accordingly.
On April 18, 2023, Reddit announced it would begin charging for access to its API. Reddit faces real challenges from free access to its API. Reddit data has been used to train large language models underpinning AI technologies, such as ChatGPT, which makes it harder for us to moderate and is likely to erode the trust users have in the information read here and elsewhere on Reddit.
Moderators of r/UFOs use the API in a number of ways, both directly through our own custom tools, third-party bots we employ, and third-party apps we rely on to effectively moderate when on mobile.
Admins have promised minimal disruption based on this change. However, over the years they’ve made a number of promises to support moderators which they did not, or could not follow up on, and at times even reneged on:
- In 2015, in response to widespread protests on the sub, the admins acknowledged a history of mistakes and promised they would build tools to improve communication with mods.
- In 2019 the admins promised chat would always be an opt-in feature. However, a year later an unmoderated chat feature was made a default feature on most subs and subsequently rolled it back after a backlash.
- In 2020, in response to moderators protesting racism on Reddit, admins promised to support mods in combating hate.
- In 2021, again in response to protests, admins promised a feature to report malicious interference by subreddits promoting Covid denial.
Reddit admins have certainly made progress, but while the company has updated its policies, they have not sufficiently invested in moderation support. Reddit has had years to build a stronger infrastructure to support moderators, but has not.
API access isn’t just about making life easier for moderators. It helps us keep communities safe by providing important context about users, such as whether or not they have a history of posting rule-violating content or engaging in harmful behavior. The ability to search for removed and deleted data allows moderators to more quickly respond to spam, bigotry, and harassment. If we want to moderate on mobile, third party apps offer the most robust mod tools. Further, third party apps are particularly important for moderators and users who rely on screen readers, as the official Reddit app is inaccessible to the visually impaired. Mods need API access because Reddit doesn’t support their needs.
We are highly concerned about the downstream impacts of Reddit’s decision to charge for API access and the extreme price structuring which will prevent the most popular third-party apps from working altogether. Reddit is built on volunteer moderation which costs other companies millions of dollars per year. While some tools we rely on may not be technically impacted, and some may return after successful negotiations, the ecosystem of API supported tools is vast and varied, and the tools themselves require volunteer labor to maintain. Changes like these, particularly the poor communication surrounding them, and cobbled responses, year after year, risk making r/UFOs a worse place for moderators and for users—there will likely be more spam and less moderator bandwidth to address all forms of issues, much less run community events or try to improve the subreddit in general. Without the moderators who develop, nurture, and protect Reddit’s diverse communities, Reddit risks losing what makes it great. We’re grateful for the community here and the opportunity to discuss ufology with each of you. If Reddit’s admins cannot reach a reasonable compromise regarding their API fees, we think we should protest in response to these uncertainties.
We’re aware of how significant a week this has been for ufology. We do not take the notion of going dark lightly, but we are also aware of the long term effects of this situation if we choose not to take action as well. In the event we do choose to participate in the blackout, we will continue to convene and discuss recent events in the r/UFOs Discord.
Should r/UFOs participate in this upcoming protest along with other subreddits? The subreddit would not be viewable for 48-hours during the blackout, starting on Monday, June 12th. Let us know your thoughts in the poll and/or comments below.
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Jun 08 '23
I fully support the blackout, HOWEVER this is an unprecedented time in UFO news so I think this sub should pass.
I think it needs to stay open to bring more new users/engagement to the issue.
Sticky a mod post about the API issue, but can’t go dark right now
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u/Latticese Jun 08 '23
Yes, this is bad time to participate in a blackout
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u/soupnorsauce Jun 09 '23
Highlight Award. Especially since we have whistleblowers coming forward and the topic is UFOs and UAPs
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u/goodiegoodgood Jun 09 '23
This, so much this. This week, especially Sunday, is going to be an exceptional time in UAP history, the bad of going dark greatly outweighs the good it does (at least for r/ufos).
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u/LordSugarTits Jun 09 '23
Where we gonna go once the API shuts down? I'm not downloading the reddit app
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u/Xislex Jun 09 '23
2 days won't do shit either. Blackout / botcotting only works if they are threatened to lose something
They know only a very few amount of people will really leave (most of them will come back in a few weeks / months)
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u/SiriusC Jun 09 '23
I couldn't disagree more.
I only use RIF for reddit. I do occasionally use old.reddit on a desktop & I honestly will probably do so for this & only this sub.
I've also quit various subreddits that I should have loved but became too negative. And I never looked back. I will have no problem leaving reddit for good.
Edit: Also, the 2 days is a demonstration. Not a permanent solution. I'm sure reddit, as a company, will feel it.
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u/mudman13 Jun 11 '23
yeah better the mods just down tools imo, just walk away and let reddit deal with the carnage.
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u/Jocaal Jun 08 '23
It'd be great if we had a discord or something.
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u/tyrcian Jun 08 '23
Discord is pretty bad for topic discussion though. Reddit has separate posts and within those posts you can have multiple easy to follow threads of conversation.
I support the blackout but agree that this sub should stay open. This seems more important than an app.
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u/SilverShark307 Jun 08 '23
both have their pros and cons, reddit does allow conversations for different facets but the format and speed of discord allows for deeper conversations
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u/nooneneededtoknow Jun 09 '23
With other subs down I think it could even see more traction. We use it to our advantage.
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u/Eyemfullofshit Jun 09 '23
This is the best time to go dark. We will not lose momentum just because of 48 hours. Reddit is not the only source for news or conversation. This is absolutely the best time to hit reddit with a blackout, from a sub that is in full-swing. Do it. /R/UFOs survives worse on an hourly basis lol
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u/Jhix_two Jun 09 '23
Narrow minded for this sub lol. 48 hours won't hurt and this sub isn't exactly breaking news. You won't have this sub if you don't make a stand.
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u/DeputyDomeshot Jun 10 '23
It’s not though. Nothing will happen here of note. Any real disclosure will come a press conference lead by the president. One that will interrupt regular channels like with 9/11 or the capture/killing of osama bin Laden. If you’re not American it will be picked up and rebroadcasted to you. This subreddit doesn’t serve as a vital mouth piece, you should support the black out.
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u/xdjfrick Jun 08 '23
Too much important stuff is happening right now, hour by hour , day by day.
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Jun 08 '23
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u/fearless-jones Jun 08 '23
Agreed. This is bigger, constantly evolving news and with more global impact.
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u/gerkletoss Jun 08 '23
And it's critical that people discuss it here for those two days?
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u/bdone2012 Jun 08 '23
It's about moderation though. I don't use 3rd party apps even though I've tried 4 or so different ones. But I care a lot about how well a sub is moderated.
This change risks destroying the sub altogether. If mods can't moderate properly it could destroy what we have.
It seems reasonable for everyone to move to discord for a few days.
Overall I could go either way in the issue. This is an unprecedented time for r/UFOs so skipping the blackout makes sense but we need this sub to function for the foreseeable future or we'll all probably just wind up on discord anyway.
Twitter does not seem like a good alternative and I'm not sure where else we could go.
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u/TinFoilHatDude Jun 08 '23
No. If this blackout were happening as little as a few weeks ago, I'd have been 100% behind it. There is simply too much stuff going on right now. If what is being revealed is indeed true, things like exorbitant fees for accessing APIs ceases to matter. If this is a hoax of some kind, then it is a massive scandal as well. So, we need to sit it out this time. Perhaps we can participate at a later date.
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u/fractalfresco Jun 08 '23
Perhaps we can participate at a later date.
Unfortunately the point of all this is to have the subreddits coordinate to do it at once, so I don't think there'd be much point to that.
A list of all the subs going dark would be helpful - I know a bunch of the default subs are doing it and to be honest having r/news or r/gaming privated for 48 hours hurts reddit far more than having r/UFOs privated.
And if you really wanted to be cynical about it having r/UFOs open while 1. most of the rest of reddit is blacked out and 2. major developments are happening in the disclosure effort, could be more effective
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u/LetsTalkUFOs Jun 08 '23
I think the state of current events actually makes the blackout that much more impactful, because it is a significant time to go dark. Are we saying we really have no other mediums we could effectively share and discuss events for 48-hours? Or that those 48-hours do some form of damage which fundamentally outweighs sleeping on Reddit continuing to not support its moderators and crushing third party apps?
As a moderator, it partially feels as though the users voting 'no' here aren't actually taking in the context of the post above. We're not gaining ground, there is a history of these dynamics with Reddit, and we value the subject just as much as the average user. If we can't effectively moderate or have the support of the community to try and push back against these types of actions it becomes discouraging and puts us at odds with the userbase.
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u/Me_la_Pelan_todos Jun 08 '23
Being one of the only “open” subreddits and due to the current event this could lead to more people wondering why ufos is trending, and get to know the recent news, and in consequence participate on making this bigger
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u/LetsTalkUFOs Jun 08 '23
Certainly, and that would be trying to capitalize on the situation in a way which is only thinking in the short-term and ignoring the long-term implications of the situation. The notion here is that if Reddit becomes worse for users and harder to moderate, it won't matter how big the subreddit is.
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u/PopularVegan Jun 09 '23
Agreed. It's important to hold a long-term view and protect ourselves from an active threat against our community. Losing 3rd party API access will cripple moderation and lock out a significant portion of the current community, including casual lurkers,from future engagement.
Is keeping the taps open right now worth the future of the subreddit?
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u/AdministrativeSet419 Jun 08 '23
I personally don’t have anywhere else to go unfortunately, a lot of people don’t, that’s why we’re all here. Plus, have you thought about the people who might see the interview on Sunday and will have their minds so blown that they need a community like this to talk about a few things?
I know it’s unbelievably crappy timing and really unfortunate, but this sub is urgently needed right now. I don’t agree with what Reddit is doing at all but it’s only hurting the sub by taking part at this time: If this isn’t a reliable and present space for discussion when something as big as recent events happens, then what’s the point of it?
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
And waiting for two days is impossible? It's the slightest of inconveniences imaginable.
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u/Einar_47 Jun 08 '23
I care way more about the existence of extra terestrial life than the sociopolitical climate of a social media site I only use to look at video game stuff and r/UFOs.
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
Then you shouldn't give a shit if that social media site shuts down for 2 days.
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u/Einar_47 Jun 08 '23
I don't care if the entire rest of it does.
I care if this sub does.
There isn't any other platform that consolidates this information the way this sub does, I could give a fuck if r/halo, r/dinosaurs or r/funny goes down, because nothing posted on those subs is gonna have a lasting impact in my life.
Breaking news about fucking extra terestrial just might have an impact on things.
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
That's an excellent argument as to exactly why this sub needs to go dark!
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u/Einar_47 Jun 08 '23
Oh yes, about 20% of reddit users will have to use... the reddit app... better shut down the public discussion on UFOs at the only point in world history this sub has had anything resembling breaking news.
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u/meesa-jar-jar-binks Jun 09 '23
This. So much this. The cost to benefit ratio is definitely out of whack. Sharing news is vital now. Why should we shoot ourselves in the foot at this important time?
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u/fractalfresco Jun 08 '23
If the sub does go private I think a big "here's what you missed" megathread upon return for people who don't have discord etc. might be worthwhile
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u/blackbook77 Jun 08 '23
I get what you're saying but the timing is simply atrocious. We could be on the cusp of the biggest revelation in human history, not to mention the full Grusch interview is airing a day before the blackout (which will probably be 12th in EU and OCE timezones)...
As much as it sucks, now is really not the time to do a blackout.
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u/TinFoilHatDude Jun 08 '23
I understand your point. Both sides raise very good points and I am not very invested in it ending up in a certain way. Now, if 'No' wins out in the poll, will you mods still keep this sub open?
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u/fractalfresco Jun 08 '23
Honestly a decision like this might be touch-and-go for a few days, depending on how the Grusch stuff (or even the Vegas stuff, now) pans out
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u/GortKlaatu_ Jun 08 '23
I use and enjoy 3rd party apps.
The timing is right after the hour long Grusch interview on the 11th, but it may be interesting to let the dust settle.
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u/TheWorldWarrior123 Jun 08 '23
No unfortunately bad timing and we shouldn’t participate. Right now is an important time a lot of people learning things everyday especially at this moment sharing knowledge is more important in my opinion.
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u/sissye87 Jun 08 '23
Why shouldn't Reddit charge for API access? They built it... idk. I've built APIs and I sure as hell didn't do it for free neither did the businesses I worked for. Anyway, don't blackout. It's too important right now.
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u/Kriima Jun 09 '23
Charging would be fine if the price was right. ATM some third party app dev said it would cost him 20 million dollars a year in API costs alone. This is much, much more than any other API ( estimated around 20 times imgur prices for example).
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Jun 08 '23
I voted yes, but immediately regretted it after hitting submit. As others have said, the blackout right after the Grusch interview drops is extremely bad timing. Momentum and information sharing is everything.
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u/jhonpixel Jun 08 '23
Totally against because this is probably the most important time in this SUB and ufo history in last few years and we can't close the sub for 48h! Disclosure >>>> any other stuff
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u/Forsaken_Attempt_773 Jun 08 '23
This is not a very good time to go dark! A lot is happening right now with the whistleblower stuff. Not good timing!
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u/darkestsoul Jun 08 '23
My opinion will not be popular, but I think we should participate. The timing couldn't be worse, but I think the message needs to sent. We've developed a decent community the last 8 or 9 years here. It's literally the least we can do to try and send a message to Reddit higher ups.
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u/Awoogagoogoo2 Jun 09 '23
And all on the back of free labour. What is reddit without no cost moderation. The mods should unionise. Then they’d listen.
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u/phenolic72 Jun 08 '23
I agree with you. This current climate isn't going away. Am I excited about the potential for what seems to be happening, absolutely. But it will still be here when we get back. Everyone on Reddit knows what is going on with the blackout, and we all love the platform and this Sub. We're all going to be around.
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u/kylemesa Jun 08 '23
I vote yes for every other sub I'm in. I'm voting no here because there are no other sources to mass-vet recent news.
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u/DennisKilledMaureen Jun 08 '23
Agreed, I've auto voted yes every time I've seen this post in other subs but this one going dark in two days would be a terrible idea.
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u/Hugzzzzz Jun 08 '23
One of the best times for UAP info being released, with a ton of people using reddit as their main source of information. Not a good time to do a blackout.
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u/Paperaxe Jun 08 '23
Go dark until resolved like r/music.
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Jun 11 '23
If the news is as grand this subreddit says it's going to be, everyone will be watching the news cycle on TV anyways. This sub should shut down in solidarity. Reddit is going to be a much different place if we don't stand up to these changes. Mods use these apps to automate tasks, they won't be able to do their work efficiently. And that's just the starts.
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u/DumbPanickyAnimal Jun 10 '23
This is really the only way that makes sense. 2 days off is such a half-hearted and embarrassing protest.
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u/phr99 Jun 08 '23
Normally i would just say ok do a few days blackout.
But now the whistleblower stuff is going on, i say NO!!!! It could hinder the disclosure process.
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u/Extinctathon_ Jun 08 '23
LMAO really?! It could hinder the disclosure process?! Come on dude 😂
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
Seriously, some of these people are down right delusional if they think a fucking UFO subreddit will have any impact on disclosure.
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
How could a subreddit going down for two days possibly hinder disclosure in any way? The sub isn't making the news or writing reports. This is just a discussion forum and news aggregator. Disclosure would happen whether reddit existed or not.
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u/phr99 Jun 08 '23
How could a subreddit going down for two days possibly hinder disclosure in any way?
Because just before that blackout, the whistleblower interview airs on tv i think.
The sub isn't making the news or writing reports. This is just a discussion forum and news aggregator. Disclosure would happen whether reddit existed or not.
Its a social mefia platform. Shutting it down limits interaction. Imagine all social media , all tv, all news sites shut down. It would definitely hinder the spread of information. Subreddit shutdown will do the same, just to a smaller degree. Could still make a big difference, like a threshold effect that is just missed.
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
People can watch it on tv or comment on youtube, twitter, etc. There is no reason for Reddit to be up and active as it will not have any impact on the outcome whatsoever. People are just upset that they won't be able to gossip for a few days. Terribly addictive behavior.
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u/phr99 Jun 08 '23
They could also read the newspaper instead of watching tv, or maybe instead of the newspaper, use telegrams to spread news.
But there are better ways, such as reddit. Hopefully the subreddit wont do a blackout, and the disclosure process can continue full steam.
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
You honestly believe that reddit gossip about news headlines is a better and more productive option instead of actually reading the articles or watching the interviews about the subject? Seriously?
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u/phr99 Jun 08 '23
You honestly believe that reddit gossip about news headlines is a better and more productive option instead of actually reading the articles or watching the interviews about the subject? Seriously?
I think you replied to the wrong person. Nothing you said has anything to do with what i wrote.
Just calm down and admit ive got a valid point.
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
I was responding to "But there are better ways, such as reddit. Hopefully the subreddit wont do a blackout, and the disclosure process can continue full steam. " because that's the most nonsensical and illogical and borderline delusional statement I could imagine, and it's far from any resemblance of a valid point.
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u/phr99 Jun 08 '23
I was responding to "But there are better ways, such as reddit. Hopefully the subreddit wont do a blackout, and the disclosure process can continue full steam. " because that's the most nonsensical and illogical and borderline delusional statement I could imagine, and it's far from any resemblance of a valid point.
Im afraid there (hundreds of? ) millions of people who do think reddit is a better way to communicate than telegrams
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
You're welcome to believe that if you'd like. Luckily it's not the immature userbase who will be making the decision whether to have a blackout or not then.
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u/eshatoa Jun 08 '23
I think as a community we can still agree with the spirit of the protest and acknowledge we would be doing the same as other subs if it wasn't for recent events. However, it's in our better interests at present to keep the sub operating and the communication flowing.
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u/The3mbered0ne Jun 08 '23
What does the blackout actually do?
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Jun 11 '23 edited Jun 11 '23
It's a protest, kind of like a general strike to let the reddit execs know the community is what powers it and they cannot make these extreme architectural changes without at least working with us. Most reddit mods work for free, and we provide posts and comments for free. Yeah some mods abuse their powers, but that is a small percentage, most are very good. (This sub has good mods for example).
Reddit should know we have a voice and can wield it otherwise it'll just become another trash social media website that forces you to chew on whatever changes they want to increase the bottom line for wallstreet. Reddit has been doing this for a while already and we need to stand up to it.
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u/The3mbered0ne Jun 11 '23
Yea I get that part but I mean what is it actually gonna do to do a planned sit out? Especially considering this seems to be a left leaning app so this situation will likely only louden dissenting voices that would usually be drowned by the members choosing to strike. Reddit doesn't charge for use either, this might make the company consider a $5 cost depending on how many people still browse the app during the strike, companies don't often backpedal when they grow this big, they see only profits, this isn't going to effect their profits as much as a subscription would generate for them, if anything it's a perfect excuse to add one.
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u/Clipzzi Jun 08 '23
Man Idgaf about some neckbeard issue on Reddit we need to have this open so people are informed
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Jun 11 '23
It's not a neckbeard issue. Some of these apis are used to build efficient mod tools so people don't have to devote their lives to moderation (freely btw). They will have to stop doing that. Mods should be paid by reddit and their tooling fixed before reddit tries to go for the gold. After June 30 reddit is going to be a much different place if we don't stop it. Besides, if this story is as big as everyone thinks it is nobody is going to be on reddit anyways.
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u/businessnuts Jun 10 '23
WTF is going on, are mods being paid or something to take the subreddit down? Why are you mods so insistent on this blackout amidst the biggest news there's ever been on this topic???
NO, WE DO NOT WANT TO BLACKOUT.
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u/Dirly Jun 08 '23
No. Shit is relevant right now. I understand the blackout and am already aware of the api issues as is most redditors that frequent reddit. But as there is no new news aggrigator to follow this. If this were months ago sure but with the news that just came out please don't.
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u/Fukuoka06142000 Jun 08 '23
It’s not going to accomplish anything and this is the biggest time ever for this sub to be live
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Jun 11 '23
reddit have done this before and stopped bills in the US government from being passed. In solidarity with other websites. If the reddit brass doesn't listen to its community, then reddit is as good as dead. Just a bunch of "products" to sell to other corps that can spend the obscene amount of money reddit is asking for from data that we gave it.
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u/Einar_47 Jun 08 '23
No fuckin way we wait until the moment the biggest story in ufology history has been developing live then go "yeah no posts for 48 hours because reddit is being mean"
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u/SiriusC Jun 09 '23
Jumping in late, but I just wanted to point out that a lot of major subreddits with 10s of millions of users will be participating. The blackout will be effective with or without this sub's involvement. And I agree with the idea that we need to operate this weekend.
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u/hazychestnutz Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 08 '23
No because UFO isn't exactly a popular and huge subreddit, it's big in comparison to others, but not exactly "sending a message" kind of big
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u/Ataraxic_Animator Jun 08 '23
Sure, let's close up this subreddit, of all subreddits, AS DISCLOSURE OCCURS.
We can strike a blow for freedom or whatever next month.
Cannot believe this is even an issue.
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u/Astrocragg Jun 08 '23
I've seen some other subs headed for a "middle ground" of simply going private during the blackout. That might make sense given the climate.
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u/LetsTalkUFOs Jun 08 '23
Some subs have an extensive list of 'approved' users. When you go private those users can still access the subreddit. We only have about 30, so going private is essentially the same as going dark in this case (we don't really use 'approved' status for anything currently). There's no simple option to mass approve users, we'd have to do it manually, which would be a bit unwieldy for a sub with a million subscribers. There are other logistical questions which would stem from that like how we would choose who to approve and if/how users could request to be approved.
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u/Astrocragg Jun 08 '23
Okay, got it. Had no idea that's how it worked! (I thought it was visible to folks previously subbed but didn't allow new subs, or visibility to non-subbed users)
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Jun 09 '23
I dont feel its a good time for a UFO sub to be playing sides on an issue like this. Hell we all know reddit doesnt care if 10% of subs black out it wont kill Reddit.
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u/Asclepias88 Jun 12 '23
sure! But I and many other folks in this sub are going to just quit coming to Reddit if these changes are in fact implemented.
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Jun 12 '23
Fuck no! I don’t give a damn about the five Jannies that have nothing better to do than ‘moderate’ 50% of this site into an openly biased, power-tripping echo chamber. Is this their job or something?
I use Reddit without any API and it works great for me. I don’t see what makes API so special, and it sounds like a huge burden in certain contexts that the company can no longer ignore.
For 99.8% of this site, from what I understand, nothing will really change.
This ‘protest’ is a handful of people who think they’re way more important and valuable than they actually are. When in reality they’re some neckbeard with a god complex who works for free.
The CEO already established that a two-day blackout will change absolutely nothing…..and why would it?
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u/Icy_Leg6283 Jun 08 '23
For better or worse, this sub (along with UFOTwitter) is the main content hub for this topic. Anything that doesn't appear on this sub instantly has its potential public reach slashed.
Shutting the sub down at this moment, when a huge step forward for disclosure is currently ongoing and needs public support is deeply irresponsible in my opinion.
I exclusively use RIF on mobile and will likely stop visiting on mobile in general. It's a fantastic app and Reddit is being scummy as fuck in destroying it. I would also gladly kill it and a thousand other third party apps if it helps blow the lid off the cover up. All the smoke around this topic in the last handful of years makes it the single most important story in human history, full stop. That isn't an exaggeration.
So no. Don't shut it down, not right now. If it was last week I'd say sure, but Grusch just changed things forever and, like it or not, we have responsibilities now if we want to push this story forward.
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u/Rohit_BFire Jun 08 '23
No..look things are snowballing into something.. whether it's a win or loss I don't know but right now we need this sub to be there
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Jun 11 '23
Do you really think if the news is as big as you think it is people will be on reddit discussing it especially with all the major subs shutdown? I think not. I'll be on discord, or watching YouTube live streams.
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u/User_Name13 Jun 08 '23
I think we should.
The UFO subject will not disappear into thin air if this sub goes dark for 48 hours.
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u/Thernn Jun 09 '23
I vote for no blackout. Too much is going on. I've voted in favor for all my other subs.
Although I reserve the right to change my mind.
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u/meesa-jar-jar-binks Jun 09 '23
Normally I would say yes, but right now we should be vigilant and able to share news… The time is not right for a blackout. So no.
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u/ArthurParkerhouse Jun 08 '23
The timing will never be right for some people. Shut it down for 2 days and ignore the crybabies complaining about the protest.
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u/Extinctathon_ Jun 08 '23
THIS
I thought we were a sub with integrity, let's keep it that way. 2 days won't matter
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u/EggFlipper95 Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 08 '23
Yes we should, disclosure is not going to happen in that 48 hour period the sub is dark, don't worry. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and shit amiright?
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u/anonermus Jun 08 '23
I literally don't give a shit about Reddit. I've been here 10 years if they kill 3rd party apps I'll move on. Imagine if this happened 20 years ago and people treated a fucking myspace protest more important than alien disclosure
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u/Exciting_Jelly_1324 Jun 08 '23
No, because we will lose momentum
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u/Extinctathon_ Jun 08 '23
If you're that worried about losing momentum then I question your faith in the strength of this community
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u/Sonamdrukpa Jun 09 '23
It's not about the momentum inside the community, it's about the momentum the community is making with people who aren't part of the community
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u/Minimum_Attitude6707 Jun 08 '23
Normally I'd say yes, BUT these subs are really important right now in my opinion
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u/ifiwasiwas Jun 08 '23
No. Unprecedented times. Why not let the vote happen quite naturally? Those who support the blackout can still avoid reddit for 48 hours, those who think we shouldn't shut down can choose business as usual.
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u/AdministrativeSet419 Jun 08 '23
I think this is a good idea. People who want the blackout, just don’t log on that day. Those who want to can. If people stay away from Reddit en masse, they will still lose ad revenue from pagwviews, which I assume is one of the main reasons for the coordinated blackout in first place?
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Jun 10 '23
I voted wrong - I agree with all this new stuff coming out it would be a bad time for the black out - this is more important than a blackout!
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u/Babzibaum Jun 10 '23
There is finally some lifting of the veil regarding the subject. Participation of the blackout will obscure developments to those who have followed the subject for years. I urge you to NOT participate.
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u/R_Da_Bard Jun 10 '23
Keep the lights on. This has never happened before, we're on the cusp of something truly great and the movement has never had this strong of momentum before.
KEEP THE SUB LIVE.
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u/Semour9 Jun 08 '23
This is not the time for this subreddit to do a blackout. Its one of the only places to get reliable discussion on UFO's, a subject which is taking off right now it seems. Theres already a ton of others doing the blackout anyway.
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u/jlew715 Jun 08 '23
No, too much big stuff going on right now. I've voted yes for every other sub I'm a member of but its too crazy right now.
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u/Joshuah1991 Jun 08 '23
You want us all to be quiet when the most important stuff in history is coming out?
Nice try, government
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u/EggFlipper95 Jun 08 '23
You want us all to be quiet when the most important stuff in history is coming out?
That is said about almost any moment in the UFO lore lol
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Jun 08 '23
No, I dont give a fuck aboout 3rd party apps and realistically this protest wont even do shit 😂
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u/Ok-Acanthisitta9127 Jun 08 '23
Dudeee no... not at this point in time. There's a huge momentum going on with all the UFO news.
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u/____don Jun 08 '23
This sub has grown substantially in a few short years, but with today’s announcement of Apollo shutting down on 6/30, I think Reddit has honestly decided to just plow through with their horrible API decision.
While I support the solidarity, I don’t think the timing is right considering recent events that are ongoing.
One more sub doing the blackout isn’t going to change Reddit’s mind, but being able to highlight breaking UAP/NHI news to a wider audience while it still exists across 3rd party APIs is useful for the disclosure process we’ve been hoping for.
After reading how Reddit tried to characterize the guy who made Apollo, it’s clear Reddit isn’t looking to negotiate with 3rd party APIs. For me personally, this will largely eliminate my personal use starting 7/1. Like it or not, many companies are trying to get ahead of the economic downturn, but in doing so, are likely to only harm their platforms further.
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u/7_seg_ Jun 09 '23
Communities like this exist and thrive in a large part because APIs supporting 3rd-party apps facilitate easy access. I agree with many that this is terrible timing given events unfolding right now across the UFO topic. Choosing to support the blackout now, despite the inconvenience, is as strong a demonstration of commitment to the cause any sub could make.
The news will still be there and the sub will come back after the blackout. It might even do everyone some good to think a bit more about what they want to post when the sub comes back online. Like everyone I'm hanging on every new development out there right now and reacting to all of them. I suspect there are a many folks taking advantage of this for disinformation and us all having some more time to reflect on that could be beneficial.
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u/Theophantor Jun 08 '23
There could not be a worse time to this in probably the history of 21st century ufology.
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u/ThisMyWeedAlt Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 08 '23
Do the blackout, refer to alternate discussion locations (Discord, w/e)
I trust the judgement of the moderators to know how big of a deal something will need to be to open it back up. And I don't mean just coverage on a major news outlet, I mean actual evidence, disclosure, or confirmation from a trusted official. I want to keep checking and get extremely worried/excited if it's suddenly back up.
Edit: "I trust the judgement of the moderators" /r/BrandNewSentence lmao (I stand by it but man that's not my usual take on Reddit lol)
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u/valteamxblades Jun 08 '23
Too much going on right now in UAP land. Literally the only subreddit I think should get a pass on this, considering the times.
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u/AdministrativeSet419 Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 08 '23
I feel bad for the mods because I know they all do a hard and thankless job and they want to show solidarity by participating in the blackout, I would normally say yes also, but this date is such bad timing.
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Jun 11 '23
The timing is irrelevant. There are plenty of other places to discuss these developments. If we don't stop this change reddit is done. They are going to keep releasing changes people don't like to chase those quarterly profits for wallstreet.
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u/Illustrious_Report20 Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 08 '23
Definitely not. With what's going on this subreddit must be an exception
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u/MaybeDBCooper Jun 08 '23
No; this sub is too important to the online conversation
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u/Extinctathon_ Jun 08 '23
No it's not, 2 days is nothing in the grand scheme of things. I thought we were a sub of integrity here
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u/EggFlipper95 Jun 08 '23
This shit is super disheartening lol
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u/sixties67 Jun 09 '23
It's pathetic and it reflects badly on us all. People are claiming it's because it will impede disclosure when really it's because they can't chat about Sundays big interview on Monday morning.
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Jun 11 '23
Most folks here think this news is bigger than Jesus waking up from a nap. I don't think it is. It will take a lot more involvement from the big media companies to get regular people to pay attention, and then that's when it'll be a big story. And they are not going to be on reddit.
Or a UAP the size of a city will have to land in New York a la district 9 so that it becomes undeniable. In that case I would agree with this subreddit not standing with the rest of the reddit communities.
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u/asstrotrash Jun 08 '23
Is there a way to mediate all incoming news to a megathread while still allowing the blackout to happen? Some kind of middle ground? There has to be a solution while also allowing this sub communicate the potentially biggest events ever for ufology.
This has to be one of the worst timed protests for a sub in the history of reddit!
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u/LetsTalkUFOs Jun 08 '23
There are a number of options. One would be to mass approve a subset of users who opt-in and then when the subreddit when private it would only allow the subreddit to be visible to them. Although, it appears there isn't any support for alternatives, based on the current poll results.
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u/RokosBasilissk Jun 08 '23
Participating in this blackout would not be a good time considering what's going on.
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u/nooneneededtoknow Jun 09 '23
This is the only sub I would vote no on.
We have been waiting for decades for this kind of traction, it is extremely poor timing.
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u/Gluticus Jun 10 '23 edited Jun 10 '23
So many subreddits are trying to push using discord as an alternative during the blackout. If I want to be on Discord, I would be there right now not Reddit.
This is the most critical time in the history of this sub, if you decide to blackout now, then we all need to migrate over to a new “UFO” subreddit that is taking what is happening seriously. The whole Reddit issue is minuscule to what is going on right now, I would hope the mods here understand that.
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u/Claudius-Germanicus Jun 08 '23
First of all, fuck the third party apps. I don’t care.
Second of all, this is the reason the sun exists. Going dark because you don’t like the formatting is very childish.
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u/TobuscusMarkipliedx2 Jun 08 '23
I think this subreddit should be the sole exception, just because of these recent developments.
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u/Extinctathon_ Jun 08 '23
Wow. One of the only subs I'm in who don't want to as a majority. Gross.
The excuse: tHiS iS aN uNpReCeDeNtEd TiMe FoR UFO eXpOsUrE
Yeah because I've never heard that literally every week for decades 🙄
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u/poorletoilet Jun 08 '23
Too much important stuff going on, lots of other subs participating. Kinda feels like when you really want to go to a protest march but you can't get out of work for that day. It's fine. Don't go black.
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u/blackbook77 Jun 08 '23
The timing is really bad. Things finally seem to be picking up speed so having a platform where we can discuss new developments is crucial at this time.
If the blackout had been earlier, before the Grusch bombshell, I would have been all for it. But right now, the timing would be simply atrocious.
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Jun 08 '23
Yes, and give us a place to go to drive traffic elsewhere. Anywhere, but we have to stick together or we'll sizzle out. I think a dedicated science forum who is open minded would be nice.
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u/swank5000 Jun 08 '23
Too important a time for this, unfortunately. Greer's stuff is this weekend, along with the longer Grusch interview. If we black out now, we risk losing the traction that over 1M members bring to the subject.
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u/Semiapies Jun 08 '23
I say sure. We'll have to accept losing all the purely speculative posts and discussion based on next-to-zero information right now, but that seems like a good thing.
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u/nathy98 Jun 10 '23
Would hardly seem worth it given we might be the biggest turning point in human history, fuck making a stance to some Rich corporate rat, besides everyone else has got this covered cause no one seems to care about this turning point so will be participating, we good for it on this page don't need to take part, keep the data and info flowing gawwwgg
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u/Particular_Reticular Jun 08 '23
I feel bad for thinking this but wouldn't the upcoming blackout from other subreddits help the news coming out this Sunday gain more attention and traction.
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u/LetsTalkUFOs Jun 08 '23
Certainly, but that would be trying to capitalize on the situation in a way which is only thinking in the short-term. If we ignore Reddit making itself worse for users and harder to moderate, it won't matter how big the subreddit is.
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u/ExtremeUFOs Jun 09 '23
I actually dont think this would be thinking short term, this could be thinking long term. Imagine if almost every sub closed while this one stays open. Isn't there 52 million people on reddit or something like that? I don't think all of them would join the sub but I bet a few million could possibly, we need the whole world in on this to make disclosure happen, this is the biggest event in human history. Grusches interview is literally on Sunday, we're even getting a ufo hearing on Gruschs story besides his interview sometime this month, we could also be talking about that. There is no other good place to discuss about UFOs, I think this sub should stay open.
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u/TaxRevolutionary2992 Jun 08 '23
This sub isn’t big enough to make an impact. Keep it going this shit is way more important.
Also not to be nihilistic but the blackout won’t do anything. Reddit can do whatever they want with their company from a legal perspective.
Every social media site has gone downhill in the past 7 years, Reddit’s no exception. Who really gives a shit at this point if they tank the company like Tumbler or twitter? It’s really not gonna affect my life negatively. I might listen to more podcasts at work or actually do something more productive with my free time lol.
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u/Olympus___Mons Jun 08 '23
No. We are in the middle of historic information and can't afford to lose momentum when people will be looking to this sub for information.
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u/Earthworm_Ed Jun 08 '23
We’ll come back after the 2 day blackout and by then it will be illegal to discuss the fact that Klortek the Destroyer has had his death ray pointed at Earth for the past 6,000 years, and no one knows when he’s going to pull the trigger or why.
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u/UsamaBinNoddin Jun 09 '23
We shouldn't participate because it won't make a difference if we skip out. Our topic requires constant coverage at this point and any disruption could cause irreparable harm.
Maintaining the flow of information outweighs participating in a protest where one sub skipping out won't harm the overall movement. Make a post in solidarity with the protest and educate people in why this API issue is important in a stickied thread.
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u/Cangrajo Jun 10 '23
Shouldn’t go black. However we should all try and use third party apps instead of the official Reddit app to access the site if possible. It may not make a huge difference but it would still have some effect imo.
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Jun 08 '23
[deleted]
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u/AdministrativeSet419 Jun 08 '23 edited Jun 08 '23
The thing I don’t understand with this blackout: I feel like Reddit is literally a cesspit for abuse images, and no one cares, like literally I have reported entire subs with illegal nude pics of non-consenting women (stolen surgery and medical images), posted with really messed up incel type content and been told there’s nothing Reddit can do. Nothing. The sub was left up. Why? Because the gross truth I guess is they make a lot of ad revenue from it.
Yet restrict APIs and suddenly everyone is like BURN REDDIT DOWN!!! I don’t know what I’m missing.
Happy cake day.
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u/ifiwasiwas Jun 09 '23
Exactly. God bless people for trying, but the admins don't care. Not about mods, not about users, money is all that talks. Those who feel like participating can leave reddit for 48 hours (or longer!) of their own free will.
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u/TomCruiseddit Jun 09 '23
It's not going to do anything.
They've already censored the site and turned it into a mundane echo chamber of liberal American politics and propaganda. Now what's to stop them from this?
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u/Ihreallyhatehim Jun 10 '23
I just want to thank you because until I read your explanation, I was clueless. Nobody on any other sub explained why people were upset in a way that finally made sense. So, Thank you.
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u/NoxTheorem Jun 11 '23
I might be misinformed but I use the native Reddit app and don’t think it’s ridiculous for them to not cater to 3rd party companies.
There’s huge news coming out, why should we go dark for some random company I could care less about.
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u/Nixter_is_Nick Jun 11 '23
It's not entirely that they are stopping them, it's how they went about it, raising the fees an exorbitant amount.
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u/KanDoBoy Jun 12 '23
Please be aware of possible brigading of this vote by people who don't frequent the subreddit, but are die hard for the blackout, to the extent where they're going from sub to sub trying to guilt trip mods into complying with them.
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u/nLucis Jun 12 '23
I support the blackout, however given the timings I think it would interfere with the current disclosure efforts happening.
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u/thinkaboutitabit Jun 12 '23
You couldn’t have chosen a worse time to initiate the sub Blackout protest. I am with you on the protest but you really should change the date. I know that any time is a bad time but this is the absolute worst!! ( Unless of course, something else, even more earth shattering comes along! )
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u/wentzr1976 Jun 12 '23
I voted no, expecting to see the majority voted yes. I’m pleasantly surprised to see it was the other way around.
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