Prior to the API fiasco, Reddit Inc had demonstrated a pattern of promising changes to the mods which they failed to deliver timely if at all. They've acknowledged this pattern, promised to do better, then failed to deliver time and again. That part isn't new.
Then the API changes were announced and the Reddit community gave Reddit Inc the loudest and most decisive rebuke they ever have. That was the feedback conversation. And Reddit Inc went forward with their plan unchanged. No concessions were made. No concerns were addressed or alleviated. Reddit Inc was informed of what this decision would break and they went ahead and broke it anyway.
As a former mod, there is nothing left to discuss. There is no reason to believe Reddit Inc will act on anything that doesn't agree with what they've already decided to do. I'm not going back to that kind of abusive relationship. They had their chance to listen to feedback and made it clear that they won't.
The July metrics must have shown them engagement is plummeting, especially content submissions, which have been garbage since the blackout. One look at r/all shows most posts being up for hours and sometimes days at a time - it used to be a matter of minutes. Doubtless this is also reflecting in their traffic metrics as well.
As someone who contributed there since the pre-Digg days, after discovering the Fediverse, I'm never going back. Reddit arrogantly assumed that there was no other platform mods and contributors could go to that would provide what they do. But when it comes down to it, the Fediverse does what Reddit did, with more features, flexibility, and without the threat of centralized mismanagement. The only thing Reddit had that the Fediverse doesn't was an audience of millions, but the audience follows the content, and the best place to create content online is right here, right now, right here, right now, right here, right now.....
Welcome to the next evolution of the web, Reddit, and to the realization that you pushed your audience to evolve past their need for you.
Reddit admins:
"Surely nobody will actually like Lemmy. It's like if you took reddit back in time 10 years. Smaller, more niche, less brand activity, pretty much just die-hard nerds. Who could possibly prefer something like that?"
So, we’ve all had a... time on Reddit lately. And I’m here to recognize it, acknowledge that our relationship has been tested, and begin the “now what?” conversation.
acknowledge that our relationship has been tested
This is so emotionally manipulative / abusive, and says everything anyone needs to know about reddit/spez. It's like if someone burns down your house and says "look i'm here to acknowledge that your house has been burned down, but we can still work things out bestie <3"
Reddit has shown the middle finger to users' decade-long commitment, ignored all complaints, and demonstrated it doesn't care, which has destroyed all trust.
Now, Reddit is asking, "Can we be friends now so you can continue to work for us for free? We want to follow through with our plan of cashing in and need your contribution."
So, we’ve all had a... time on Reddit lately. And I’m here to recognize it, acknowledge that our relationship has been tested, and begin the “now what?” conversation.
"I am allowed to hint towards the idea that we may have fucked up but I am not allowed to say how we may have fucked up if we did indeed fuck up which may not be the case. Could you, once again, reiterate what you think we fucked up and how we can fix the alleged fuck up? We haven't decided to do anything, aren't claiming fault, and are refusing to bring forth solutions to proposed issues."
"Now that we have that out of the way, let's chat!"
This isn't a converstaion. This is comments be slung back and forth. I argue you can't really have a conversation on these kinds of platforms and at this pointit's pandering at the best and downright insulting any other way as every step the mods attempted to speak out and they ignored everything including forcing them open back up.
Honestly i understand how these folks don't want to walk away fron communities they helped build, but how bad does it have to get before you do walk away?
Sadly communities rise and fall faster than the tide on the internet. Find something for you that you control and contribute to that, no some douchebag exec that sees you as a dollar sign.
Also there were no answers or conversation there. Just 3 comments from the admin, 1 saying he'd take the feedback on the lowest scored post and then 1 refuting something and the last pointing to that refutinf post.