Reddit banned me for developing Geddit

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Reddit’s API crackdown and Geddit

  • Many see Reddit’s API changes and action against Geddit as part of a broader “enshittification” pattern: prioritizing monetization and IPO optics over community and tools.
  • Commenters note that unauthenticated JSON endpoints still work and are effectively part of the API, so calling Geddit a “bypass” is disputed.
  • Rate limits have tightened; some suggest distributed fetching to rebuild feeds under those limits.

User experience decline

  • Numerous users quit or drastically reduced use when third‑party apps (e.g., Apollo, RiF) died; several say this unexpectedly broke long‑standing Reddit habits.
  • Complaints: buggy official app, aggressive login walls, endless captchas, pushy in‑app browsers, more low‑effort content, reposts, bots, and propaganda.
  • Some still find value in niche or regional subs and stick to old.reddit or specific communities rather than the home/popular feeds.

Profitability and business model

  • Confusion and skepticism that such a heavily trafficked, self‑targeting, text‑based site isn’t clearly profitable.
  • Explanations offered: over‑hiring, weak ad formats, heavy bot presence lowering ad value, chasing “key demos” that don’t actually use Reddit, and VC expectations for high growth over sustainable profit.
  • Debate on whether Reddit “could turn profitable any time” by cutting growth spend versus whether that would trigger user flight.

Moderation, politics, and bias

  • Strong perception that large subs and the site overall have become politicized and polarized (especially around US politics).
  • Multiple users report bans for views or for participation in disfavored subs; some describe Reddit and Lemmy as opposing “echo chambers.”
  • Others emphasize that issues often stem from power‑tripping or apathetic volunteer mods, not just corporate policy.

Alternatives and migration

  • Mentioned alternatives: Lemmy, Kbin, Tildes, traditional forums, Usenet, self‑hosted blogs/forums, and simply “talking to people IRL.”
  • Lemmy/Fediverse praised for decentralization and multiple moderation cultures, but criticized for fragmentation (many overlapping communities) and strong ideological clustering.
  • Projects like Fediverser and Voyager aim to ease migration by mapping Reddit subs to Lemmy communities and onboarding users.

Technical workarounds and tools

  • Workarounds include: JSON endpoints, RSS feeds (.rss, often “top weekly”), proxy frontends (Libreddit → Redlib, Nitter, Invidious), redirect extensions, and anonymous Android clients (e.g., Stealth, Geddit, RedReader).
  • Some argue “HTTP is the only API you need,” others worry Reddit may eventually close these holes.

Broader reflections

  • Many see Reddit’s trajectory as typical for ad‑driven, VC‑backed platforms: early golden age, then growth/IPO pressure, then user‑hostile changes.
  • There’s recurring nostalgia for the “old web” (Usenet, forums, blogs) and calls to build small, simple, non‑profit or lightly‑monetized communities instead of centralized social giants.