Reddit banned me for developing Geddit

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Reddit’s ban of the developer behind Geddit, an unofficial client that uses public JSON endpoints instead of the paid API, is seen as part of a broader shift toward “enshittification” — prioritizing monetization, data paywalls, and IPO optics over power users and third‑party apps. Commenters describe abandoning Reddit after the API crackdown, lament declining content quality, intrusive official apps, heavy-handed moderation and political bias, and a growing sense that bots and astroturfing dominate major platforms. Many look to alternatives such as Lemmy, old‑style forums, RSS, and proxy frontends, while noting that none yet match Reddit’s former combination of scale, usability, and niche expertise.

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.