Paywalled Subreddits Are Coming to Reddit and I’m Worried
Aug. 12, 2024The Scary Reddit Cannibalization
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, during the earnings call, talked about how every time Reddit has explored new avenues, it has only further expanded and that they’ve“not seen it cannibalize existing Reddit.”
“we will unlock the door for new use cases, new types of subreddits that can be built that may have exclusive content or private areas, things of that nature.”
I don’t know about opening new doors, but it sure does sound like a big door being closed in the face of future free Reddit users.Subreddits are the heart of the platform, and making it exclusive will only cause the platform’s collaborative spirit to take a big hit.
There will undoubtedly be a digital divide between free and paid Reddit subreddit users on the platform due to this very exclusivity. Not to mention that, while Huffman sees this“as an opportunity of expansion as opposed to one that is going to cannibalize the existing Reddit”, it will most likely have the opposite effect.
We’re not talking about introducing a new feature here. We’re talking aboutlimitingan “open” platform to users. Are the CEOs in a race to see who annihilates their platform the fastest (coughs Elon)?
Huffman thinksthat
“the existing altruistic-free version of Reddit will continue to exist and grow and thrive just the way it has.”
These numbers are enticing, and I see why Reddit is fixated on further growing economically. But, with paid subreddits on Reddit, won’t most users bid adieu to the platform anyway? The user conversations on Reddit’s Subreddits are the true treasure here, which is allowing the platform to see such growth. So, that’s something that should be protected.
If Reddit has sustained throughout all those years without this much revenue, I think they can do away withnot imposing paywalls at the cost of seeing reasonable growth.
Not to mention that exclusive content is going to be very hard to compartmentalize and filter out from regular content. Which means thatReddit moderators will have a tough time keeping the platform together.
In addition to it all, Huffman has also stated that,
“We’re working towards enabling monetization within the developer platform to empower our users to create and earn money on the platform this year.”
That’s some great news for all those Reddit creators who have been actively at it for years now. Huffman has stated that he’ll share more about this in “the coming quarters,” which is when we’ll get to know the exact monetization plans.
The Subreddit dedicated to this move by Reddit already has users talking about “It’s about time I was done with Reddit anyway,” and “Imagine paying for Reddit.” Not to mention that someone even mockingly talks about the rise of newReddit alternatives.
“Do it, kill the site, so we can go to better websites finally,” one user says. It will also allow popular alternatives like Lemmy and Kbin to further thrive and expand, as Reddit users jump ship. I guess the Reddit makers need to be reminded that they’re not the only such platform in the world.
Reddit is also set to introduce AI Search later this year, which is an odd move as well. Especially, considering that a Search God like Google had to roll back on their similarAI Overviewfeature.
I don’t know where the platform is headed, but I sure as hell won’t pay for Subreddits on Reddit. What about you? What do you think about this potentially alarming move? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below!
Sagnik is a tech aficionado who can never say “no” to dipping his toes into unknown waters of tech or reviewing the latest gadgets. He is also a hardcore gamer, having played everything from Snake Xenzia to Dead Space Remake.
