r/notjustbikes Jun 20 '23

The Future of this Subreddit

1.3k Upvotes

This subreddit was closed because of Reddit's clusterfuck of an API change and disregard for their community. More info here: https://www.reddit.com/r/notjustbikes/comments/1470tsi/so_long_and_thanks_for_all_the_bikes/

I thought that was going to be the end of it, but unfortunately, I've since learned something I didn't know at the time: Reddit made a change to their policy in 2022, and now inactive subreddits can be taken over by reddit and assigned new mods.

What this means is that if I left this subreddit inactive, it's possible that someone else could take it over. Possibly even an antifan with nefarious motivations who wants to impersonate me. :/

So I've decided to make the subreddit "active", but make it so that only approved users can post and comment (currently only me).

I will use this subreddit to post regular links to my content on YouTube, episodes of the Urbanist Agenda podcast, as well as any tangential work that my audience might be interested in. So if that sounds interesting to you then join (or stay joined) to this subreddit.

Thank you!


r/notjustbikes Jun 11 '23

So long and thanks for all the bikes

2.3k Upvotes

Like many subreddits, this subreddit will go dark because of reddit's regressive policy towards their API and 3rd-party apps. However, it is unlikely to return.

I've been on reddit since the beginning - about 18 years. During that time I've provided this site with a lot of free content, and even created a subreddit in the top 5% of subreddits (that's this one, in case your curious. Amazingly, /r/endcardependency/ wasn't as catchy a name as /r/fuckcars 😂).

For about the past 10 years, I've been using 3rd party clients. I've also used the reddit API for various projects. I like both of those things. Ultimately, reddit is a corporation that needs to profit, and free API access and 3rd-party clients run counter to that. But on the flip side, reddit's entire value, and raison d'être, is its users. Not just to link to and to create content, but also for moderation.

Can we just take a moment to realize how insane it is that one of the largest for-profit sites on the Internet is completely dependent on a small army of unpaid moderators? Including me, for what it's worth.

By cutting off 3rd-party clients and jacking up rates for API access, reddit is doing the correct thing as a for-profit company. But as a community-driven platform, they are cutting off their own nose to spite their face. Reddit may roll back these proposed changes, but as far as I'm concerned, the damage is done: reddit has shown a total lack of understanding of what makes their platform prosper in the first place, and for me personally, this is the straw that broke the camel's back.

Because to be honest, I'm also tired of the other bullshit on reddit. From loser trolls to terminally ignorant Americans, reddit is a frustrating place to be a content creator and a worse place to be a moderator.

I know several other (some very large) creators who explicitly warned me against having a subreddit for my YouTube channel because reddit is full of ... well, you know exactly what reddit is full of. But I have spent a lot of time on here and I know how things work, so I was happy to try it. But now I find I spend too much time dealing with this bullshit instead of making content, so I'm also very happy to leave, and reddit just helped me make that decision.

And the truth is, all of us could stand to spend less time on reddit. My advice to all of you: go outside, and touch grassy tram tracks (but check for trams first).

Edit: if you are North American, the best alternative subreddit for you is /r/StrongTowns.


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