97 votes

Reddit is adding native video ads starting next week

94 comments

  1. [12]
    ZaphodBeebblebrox
    Link
    And on this episode of yet another reason why people will hate the Reddit redesign, we are adding ads that will stop you from seeing content on our site.

    And on this episode of yet another reason why people will hate the Reddit redesign, we are adding ads that will stop you from seeing content on our site.

    59 votes
    1. [9]
      Ark
      Link Parent
      I didn't hear about the "new" Reddit design as I hadn't even visited the website in a few weeks. Once the page loaded up, I sat in silence for a few seconds and scrambled to find the button that...

      I didn't hear about the "new" Reddit design as I hadn't even visited the website in a few weeks. Once the page loaded up, I sat in silence for a few seconds and scrambled to find the button that would make everything go back to the way it was. Why change something that worked perfectly fine?

      24 votes
      1. [8]
        ZaphodBeebblebrox
        Link Parent
        They are trying to appeal to different kind of audience, the audience who uses facebook. They claim they had huge problems with people coming to the site, disliking how it looks, and leaving. Of...

        They are trying to appeal to different kind of audience, the audience who uses facebook. They claim they had huge problems with people coming to the site, disliking how it looks, and leaving. Of course, ads have nothing to do with it.

        45 votes
        1. [6]
          Ark
          Link Parent
          This seems to be the slow and painful death of Reddit we are witnessing right now. I do remember first visiting the site and thinking "gross why does this site look like it hasn't been updated for...

          This seems to be the slow and painful death of Reddit we are witnessing right now. I do remember first visiting the site and thinking "gross why does this site look like it hasn't been updated for 15 years?" but funnily enough I've grown accustomed to it's simplicity. I don't go to Reddit for the looks, I go there for the content. If Reddit is focusing it's efforts on looking good and not trying to increase the quality of the content instead, it's only going to be downhill from here...

          27 votes
          1. [5]
            ZaphodBeebblebrox
            Link Parent
            To be honest, the redesign is a large part of the reason I am here. I saw it and thought to myself, I cannot deal with this site. I know they said that the old site will stay around "forever", but...

            To be honest, the redesign is a large part of the reason I am here. I saw it and thought to myself, I cannot deal with this site. I know they said that the old site will stay around "forever", but I somehow doubt that it will be functional for long.

            27 votes
            1. Ark
              Link Parent
              Yep same here. Primarily it was because tildes looked like an awesome place to be a part of, but also because of the multiple issues Reddit has with it's community and the direction they have...

              Yep same here. Primarily it was because tildes looked like an awesome place to be a part of, but also because of the multiple issues Reddit has with it's community and the direction they have decided to take the site in with all this redesigning. Don't get me wrong, there are still many parts of Reddit that I enjoy, some really lovely communities of which I'm a part of, but tildes was that fresh new start that I've been waiting on for so long.

              14 votes
            2. [2]
              Somatic
              Link Parent
              I've already encountered parts that seem to be broken. Maybe it's just growing pains, but any v.reddit links won't load if I click on the links on the old site, or at least they wouldn't...

              I've already encountered parts that seem to be broken. Maybe it's just growing pains, but any v.reddit links won't load if I click on the links on the old site, or at least they wouldn't yesterday. I have to click on the comments and hope the video loads there. Maybe they'll update it, but it's the type of thing that generally just gets left broken on a legacy site.

              7 votes
              1. J-Senior
                Link Parent
                v.reddit is just a pain and a cash grab. If I see an interesting video I want to download it to share, not send a link. My mum doesn't need pun threads and ads.

                v.reddit is just a pain and a cash grab. If I see an interesting video I want to download it to share, not send a link. My mum doesn't need pun threads and ads.

                5 votes
            3. Lucifer
              Link Parent
              ditto. fuck, what i really want is reddit 0.75 ... post imgur pre image macro hell apparently unlike everyone else here, i never had a problem with the toxic people on reddit. i just stayed out of...

              ditto. fuck, what i really want is reddit 0.75 ... post imgur pre image macro hell

              apparently unlike everyone else here, i never had a problem with the toxic people on reddit. i just stayed out of those subs/conversations.

              i like this place, but sometimes you need a little crazy. there is a metric fuck-tonne of forums i can haunt for sterile, overly-manicured conversations.

              5 votes
        2. rorso
          Link Parent
          Even though that "huge problem" still let them become one of the biggest websites of all time ... Greed ruins everything.

          Even though that "huge problem" still let them become one of the biggest websites of all time ...

          Greed ruins everything.

          5 votes
    2. JustABanana
      Link Parent
      I actually like the way redesign looks and card view is a great feature, it's just that it's very slow, it contains lots of tracking javascript and ads are awful. I'd prefer to have a functional...

      I actually like the way redesign looks and card view is a great feature, it's just that it's very slow, it contains lots of tracking javascript and ads are awful. I'd prefer to have a functional website that is very lightweight and works everywhere(tildes and old reddit) than a modern looking slow crap that redesign is.

      It's actually one of the reason I love tildes. No need for a separate app, everything works in my web browser both on my phone and PC. Why would I want anything else

      4 votes
    3. PopeRigby
      Link Parent
      It's funny. I feel like one of the only people who like the redesign. It makes it easier for me to see everything and it has native dark mode.

      It's funny. I feel like one of the only people who like the redesign. It makes it easier for me to see everything and it has native dark mode.

  2. [11]
    Luna
    Link
    Tellingly, this hasn't been posted to r/blog, r/changelog, or r/announcements. I can't say I'm surprised. Being an image and video host isn't easy - it's a low-margin industry, and it's certainly...

    Tellingly, this hasn't been posted to r/blog, r/changelog, or r/announcements.

    I can't say I'm surprised. Being an image and video host isn't easy - it's a low-margin industry, and it's certainly more expensive than just being a link aggregator (and I think they said the maximum filesize is 100 MB). And given that this wouldn't work as well on the old layout, I find it hard to believe they are going to keep it around.

    One of the things that makes the old layout great is that you can still load it on bad connections. I measured it, and loading the old homepage downloaded 1.93 MB of data and finishes loading in 6.5 seconds (cache disabled). With the new page? 17.5 MB in 35.6 seconds. (Note that these results are with uBlock Origin on, I'm not sure how much larger they would be without it.) The old layout could go lower if I disabled thumbnails in user preferences, but the point is that the old site doesn't exclude people on slow connections, or on older PCs which can't handle boatloads of JS. You can make sites look good and run well if you put in the time, but it seems that has gone out the window in the name of being slick and modern.

    43 votes
    1. [3]
      Deimos
      Link Parent
      They don't usually link the blog posts on reddit at all any more. It's strange, the blog has somehow changed into something that seems to be intended for outside audiences instead of reddit users.

      They don't usually link the blog posts on reddit at all any more. It's strange, the blog has somehow changed into something that seems to be intended for outside audiences instead of reddit users.

      36 votes
      1. [2]
        TheKingBEE
        Link Parent
        Shareholders and advertisers you mean.

        Shareholders and advertisers you mean.

        17 votes
        1. Absay
          Link Parent
          Yep. I mean, this one whole blog post is clearly speaking to advertisers.

          Yep. I mean, this one whole blog post is clearly speaking to advertisers.

          8 votes
    2. [3]
      Crespyl
      Link Parent
      I remember when people made "mobile" sites that actually focused on optimizing size and page loads. Compare those measurements to the (still accessible) https://i.reddit.com/r/all which, on my...

      I remember when people made "mobile" sites that actually focused on optimizing size and page loads.

      Compare those measurements to the (still accessible) https://i.reddit.com/r/all which, on my machine, loads ~350kb in just under 2 seconds.

      The new reddit website/mobile layout feels incredibly clunky in comparison, even on my otherwise perfectly capable Samsung GS5.

      16 votes
      1. [2]
        joelthelion
        Link Parent
        I made this firefox extension to always redirect to the compact website. Works great for mobile browsing. Not sure how long this will work, though...

        I made this firefox extension to always redirect to the compact website. Works great for mobile browsing. Not sure how long this will work, though...

        6 votes
        1. ahquemeneye
          Link Parent
          One of the scariest parts of the redesign is that a lot of people have only ever used the app, so if/when they decide to get rid of old.reddit.com, many of those users won't understand the...

          One of the scariest parts of the redesign is that a lot of people have only ever used the app, so if/when they decide to get rid of old.reddit.com, many of those users won't understand the complaints and will just side with the admins

          2 votes
    3. rorso
      Link Parent
      It's ridiculous that they even tried to become an image and video host in the first place. They were running stable and profitable before they made ANY of the new changes. This is pure greed and...

      It's ridiculous that they even tried to become an image and video host in the first place. They were running stable and profitable before they made ANY of the new changes. This is pure greed and the endless strive for growth to impress investors.

      5 votes
    4. set
      Link Parent
      Notice the lack of "So what does this mean for users?" They know their targets.

      Notice the lack of "So what does this mean for users?"

      They know their targets.

      5 votes
    5. [2]
      J-Senior
      Link Parent
      Has it been posted anywhere by anyone? I can't find mention of it and I'd like to see the discussion.

      Has it been posted anywhere by anyone? I can't find mention of it and I'd like to see the discussion.

      2 votes
  3. [3]
    rkcr
    Link
    The tone of this article is weird: It's so excited that ads are here! Hooray!

    The tone of this article is weird: It's so excited that ads are here! Hooray!

    35 votes
    1. ZaphodBeebblebrox
      Link Parent
      To be fair, this blog post appeared to be focused on advertisers; they do not plan to have the majority of reddit read it.

      To be fair, this blog post appeared to be focused on advertisers; they do not plan to have the majority of reddit read it.

      26 votes
    2. clerical_terrors
      Link Parent
      Oopsie we pwaced this video in fwont of youw cat pictuwe uwu

      Oopsie we pwaced this video in fwont of youw cat pictuwe uwu

      10 votes
  4. Emerald_Knight
    Link
    Well... that certainly explains a lot. Combined with all of the behavioral tracking they're incorporating into the interface, it's no surprise that the redesign is focused primarily on improving...

    It marries the best of the redesign for advertisers (card view)

    Well... that certainly explains a lot. Combined with all of the behavioral tracking they're incorporating into the interface, it's no surprise that the redesign is focused primarily on improving advertiser appeal. The reduced readability is probably intended to keep ads within visible screen space for a longer period of time, too.

    Man, the redesign just seems more and more scummy the more you look at it.

    24 votes
  5. [29]
    EditingAndLayout
    Link
    So, uhh, how long until we can move r/HighQualityGifs over here? :)

    So, uhh, how long until we can move r/HighQualityGifs over here? :)

    18 votes
    1. [6]
      smoontjes
      Link Parent
      Admittedly, I got a bit tired of the reddit meta gifs... There isn't really any established users or inside jokes or whatever here, so I'm curious what kind of stuff you can come up with for tildes

      Admittedly, I got a bit tired of the reddit meta gifs... There isn't really any established users or inside jokes or whatever here, so I'm curious what kind of stuff you can come up with for tildes

      16 votes
      1. EditingAndLayout
        Link Parent
        I'm tired of meta gifs too. I've been making gifs five or six years, and only a handful are meta gifs. I like making good reaction gifs that anyone can take and use. Sorry to link back to Reddit,...

        I'm tired of meta gifs too. I've been making gifs five or six years, and only a handful are meta gifs. I like making good reaction gifs that anyone can take and use. Sorry to link back to Reddit, but most of them are on my page here: https://www.reddit.com/r/EditingAndLayout/

        HQG as it is now has evolved that way over time. We don't have many rules at all, so the content you see is just what people make and vote on. I just wanted a place where people could make whatever content they want and share it, without worrying about all the rules in places like r/gifs and r/reactiongifs.

        The meta gifs tend to beat everything else out these days, but I don't really want to add a bunch of rules to restrict what people can make and vote on. Yeah I might not always enjoy it personally, but a ton of people do, so I want to respect that as well. And I think we have a great community.

        6 votes
      2. [4]
        tangentandhyperbole
        Link Parent
        When someone thinks all we do is meta gifs
        4 votes
        1. [3]
          smoontjes
          Link Parent
          When I get corrected on the internet To be fair though, I'm pretty sure the meta gifs are the ones that get to r/all the most - which is how I usually browse reddit

          When I get corrected on the internet

          To be fair though, I'm pretty sure the meta gifs are the ones that get to r/all the most - which is how I usually browse reddit

          3 votes
          1. tangentandhyperbole
            Link Parent
            The people vote for what they want. Probably 5-10% of the 400+ gifs I've made were meta, yet, those were usually the most successful. There's people doing OC animations, nature gifs, video game...

            The people vote for what they want. Probably 5-10% of the 400+ gifs I've made were meta, yet, those were usually the most successful. There's people doing OC animations, nature gifs, video game gifs, music video gifs, I've done a few motorcycle gifs, there's a ton of variety that a lot of people never see because they only see 1 gif a day out of the 10-20 or so that get submitted practically everyday. And its all OC.

            That is a lot of creative content being made, solely for the entertainment of that community. So its always a bit frustrating when people complain about meta jokes, because that's all they've seen, because that's what gets upvoted ya know?

            3 votes
          2. matt01ss
            Link Parent
            This is the real reason. There are tons of non-meta gifs that are posted, but over time it is the meta gifs that are highly upvoted by the community. These are the posts that hit the front page....

            This is the real reason. There are tons of non-meta gifs that are posted, but over time it is the meta gifs that are highly upvoted by the community. These are the posts that hit the front page.

            I've really gotten tired of defending our sub to every person who thinks they are hilarious and witty make jokes about meta gifs. It's become a trendy thing to say now when in reality 90% of them don't even understand what the word meta means or how it applies to content.

            2 votes
    2. [12]
      merick
      Link Parent
      Shouldn't really change anything over there since they use decent hosts. The announcement is only about Reddit-hosted content (aka v.reddit.com or i.reddit.com stuff) which is already shit to...

      Shouldn't really change anything over there since they use decent hosts. The announcement is only about Reddit-hosted content (aka v.reddit.com or i.reddit.com stuff) which is already shit to begin with. Really makes you appreciate the subreddits that don't accept submissions from those.

      8 votes
      1. [11]
        Deimos
        Link Parent
        You're replying to the top mod of /r/HighQualityGifs. :b

        You're replying to the top mod of /r/HighQualityGifs. :b

        23 votes
        1. [4]
          merick
          Link Parent
          Oh wow haha I didn't know that. Now that I think about it, the name does sound familiar. In that case, good job on not accepting shitty hosts!

          Oh wow haha I didn't know that. Now that I think about it, the name does sound familiar. In that case, good job on not accepting shitty hosts!

          6 votes
          1. [3]
            EditingAndLayout
            Link Parent
            Yeah I've never been sold on the idea of Reddit hosting content. I don't trust their reasoning behind wanting to do it, and it's just a worse product than what Imgur and Gfycat and Streamable...

            Yeah I've never been sold on the idea of Reddit hosting content. I don't trust their reasoning behind wanting to do it, and it's just a worse product than what Imgur and Gfycat and Streamable currently provide.

            6 votes
            1. merick
              Link Parent
              And this post very much confirms your suspicion. It never works out when a website/service tries to do too much at once. Should have just stuck to what they did best (which is also debatable lol).

              Yeah I've never been sold on the idea of Reddit hosting content. I don't trust their reasoning behind wanting to do it

              And this post very much confirms your suspicion. It never works out when a website/service tries to do too much at once. Should have just stuck to what they did best (which is also debatable lol).

              3 votes
            2. Rabdomante
              Link Parent
              As it turns out, the reasoning was "so we can put our own ads in front of it"

              I don't trust their reasoning behind wanting to do it

              As it turns out, the reasoning was "so we can put our own ads in front of it"

              3 votes
        2. [5]
          matt01ss
          Link Parent
          So when can we open a ~HighQualityGifs or ~gifs :D

          So when can we open a ~HighQualityGifs or ~gifs

          :D

          3 votes
          1. [4]
            Deimos
            Link Parent
            ~creative.gifs? It's all OC, right? It's kind of an interesting situation, where the "product" is fluff-like content, but in the end I think it's fairly similar to drawings/paintings/etc.

            ~creative.gifs? It's all OC, right? It's kind of an interesting situation, where the "product" is fluff-like content, but in the end I think it's fairly similar to drawings/paintings/etc.

            8 votes
            1. EditingAndLayout
              Link Parent
              Yeah, I think the main distinction of HQG (other than the quality) is that all gifs have to be OC. And that rule keeps a bunch of "fluff" out, because people can't just post whatever gif they...

              Yeah, I think the main distinction of HQG (other than the quality) is that all gifs have to be OC. And that rule keeps a bunch of "fluff" out, because people can't just post whatever gif they found somewhere. Posting a gif requires some level of creativity and effort on the part of the OP—similar to drawing and painting, like you said.

              7 votes
            2. [2]
              matt01ss
              Link Parent
              Oh that's kind of interesting. Did you have plans to do a structured set of communities where they fall into a parent category?

              Oh that's kind of interesting. Did you have plans to do a structured set of communities where they fall into a parent category?

              2 votes
              1. Deimos
                Link Parent
                Yes, the group system supports a hierarchy. It's flat now (except for ~tildes.official) because the site is small, but eventually it should be a tree: https://docs.tildes.net/mechanics#groups

                Yes, the group system supports a hierarchy. It's flat now (except for ~tildes.official) because the site is small, but eventually it should be a tree: https://docs.tildes.net/mechanics#groups

                3 votes
    3. tangentandhyperbole
      Link Parent
      Oh hey Earl! I was wondering when we could get a gifs group going. :D Theres a few of us that came over with @aphoenix.

      Oh hey Earl! I was wondering when we could get a gifs group going. :D

      Theres a few of us that came over with @aphoenix.

      2 votes
    4. RespectMyAuthoriteh
      Link Parent
      Don't hold your breath. I had requested a ~humor group and that suggestion was rejected. I also tried posting a couple of funny cat gifs I had made to ~misc and was made to feel like I had done...

      Don't hold your breath. I had requested a ~humor group and that suggestion was rejected. I also tried posting a couple of funny cat gifs I had made to ~misc and was made to feel like I had done something wrong. :\

      2 votes
    5. [8]
      Tenar
      Link Parent
      looks like never unless there'd be a "how to" attached to each one and in that case you could debate it not being fluff ;)

      looks like never

      unless there'd be a "how to" attached to each one and in that case you could debate it not being fluff ;)

      2 votes
      1. [5]
        EditingAndLayout
        Link Parent
        I think we could made a GIF page in a way where it's educational while still being entertaining, and not "fluff." It would be different than HQG is now. But I'm fine if GIFs aren't a fit for this...

        I think we could made a GIF page in a way where it's educational while still being entertaining, and not "fluff." It would be different than HQG is now. But I'm fine if GIFs aren't a fit for this site either. I didn't come over here in hopes of turning Tildes into the next Reddit. I don't have any agenda. I'm just enjoying the experience and evolution here, and we'll see where it goes.

        7 votes
        1. [2]
          pseudolobster
          Link Parent
          I feel like HQG has a place here. We just don't currently have the filtering tools, infrastructure, and culture to support it yet. I'm a pretty vocal fan of high quality fluff. I believe high...

          I feel like HQG has a place here. We just don't currently have the filtering tools, infrastructure, and culture to support it yet.

          I'm a pretty vocal fan of high quality fluff. I believe high quality fluff can bring high quality discussions and high quality community. We just need to figure out how to institutionally prioritize the former part.

          I feel like when we're ready for a /r/HighQualityGIFs we should have a mature enough community we can just call it ~gifs.

          4 votes
          1. Tenar
            Link Parent
            otoh even a mature community likes fluff, and might regress to more fluff-full behaviours.

            I feel like when we're ready for a /r/HighQualityGIFs we should have a mature enough community we can just call it ~gifs.

            otoh even a mature community likes fluff, and might regress to more fluff-full behaviours.

            1 vote
        2. [2]
          Tenar
          Link Parent
          Glad to hear that, and neat to see you here. tbh I think an educational thing would work well, although I see how some people might consider even that to be off-topic.

          Glad to hear that, and neat to see you here. tbh I think an educational thing would work well, although I see how some people might consider even that to be off-topic.

          3 votes
          1. EditingAndLayout
            Link Parent
            Yeah, and it might not work here at all, and that's okay. This is all so new that I don't think anyone knows how it will develop yet.

            Yeah, and it might not work here at all, and that's okay. This is all so new that I don't think anyone knows how it will develop yet.

            2 votes
      2. [2]
        dodger
        Link Parent
        Once ~ goes open-source, I'm sure there will be spin-offs for different content. Maybe they can even link to each other like sister-sites but keep their domains focused. Keeping ~ true to it's...

        Once ~ goes open-source, I'm sure there will be spin-offs for different content. Maybe they can even link to each other like sister-sites but keep their domains focused. Keeping ~ true to it's mission statement is IMO a great idea and I'm loving it.

        That being said, I love HQG (and sequel and prequel memes). I would be happy to spin up a tildes instance for HQG when the time comes. Until then, patiently waiting for Tildes Open-Source Day.

        2 votes
        1. Tenar
          Link Parent
          I think this would work well. I was thikning about it a while ago, i understand if federation completely wouldn't work (it burdens the whole non-fluff principle) but it'd be neat if ~federated was...

          I think this would work well. I was thikning about it a while ago, i understand if federation completely wouldn't work (it burdens the whole non-fluff principle) but it'd be neat if ~federated was a thing, bringing in content from other places. Spin-offs would be fantastic, imo, because each would draw people interested in that site's subject matter, and people who could add to the source code. I'm 100% for it

  6. jackson
    Link
    Of course, this was posted in redditblog.com and not /r/announcements - they don't want the majority of the populace to read this- it's intended for advertisers.

    Of course, this was posted in redditblog.com and not /r/announcements - they don't want the majority of the populace to read this- it's intended for advertisers.

    15 votes
  7. unknown user
    Link
    Because the redesign isn't sluggish enough, right? Now you also have to sit through video ads once the site finally loads. Weee!

    Because the redesign isn't sluggish enough, right? Now you also have to sit through video ads once the site finally loads. Weee!

    13 votes
  8. [2]
    redikulous
    Link
    Reddit's video player is also a huge POS. The fact that you can't link directly to a video is just a shameless way to promote the site. It's almost exactly like FB. I bet at some point you will...

    Reddit's video player is also a huge POS. The fact that you can't link directly to a video is just a shameless way to promote the site. It's almost exactly like FB. I bet at some point you will have to create an account to even view the videos.

    8 votes
    1. dodger
      Link Parent
      I am in utter shock every time I see someone surfing FB and try loading a video... it's awful. I wonder what their tech stack is that leads to such a shit experience. React and GraphQL are great...

      I am in utter shock every time I see someone surfing FB and try loading a video... it's awful. I wonder what their tech stack is that leads to such a shit experience. React and GraphQL are great and turning frontend and api design on their head (tho I prefer vue for complex frontends myself), yet they can't stream a video reliably at all. Maybe they'll fix it eventually but I don't think I have friends that use it much anymore anyways.

      4 votes
  9. clerical_terrors
    Link
    I suppose it makes sense for their monetization but does it offset the cost of hosting all that video data?

    I suppose it makes sense for their monetization but does it offset the cost of hosting all that video data?

    6 votes
  10. [4]
    matt01ss
    Link
    Interesting considering mobile makes up a large portion of their viewership. This seems heavily targeted at the card view style for the redesign (pretty much desktop oriented)

    Interesting considering mobile makes up a large portion of their viewership. This seems heavily targeted at the card view style for the redesign (pretty much desktop oriented)

    6 votes
    1. [3]
      Deimos
      Link Parent
      The mobile apps are card view as well.

      The mobile apps are card view as well.

      10 votes
      1. matt01ss
        Link Parent
        Lol well I guess that answers that

        Lol well I guess that answers that

        5 votes
      2. OriginalBinChicken
        Link Parent
        Not if I'm using a third party app. Which I can honestly see being phased out in the next couple years as the redesign begins to take hold. Force users to use your app, cookie the shit out of...

        Not if I'm using a third party app.

        Which I can honestly see being phased out in the next couple years as the redesign begins to take hold.

        Force users to use your app, cookie the shit out of them, serve ads, profit!

        1 vote
  11. teaearlgraycold
    Link
    So - auto-playing video ads that are shimmed into your listings.

    Specifically, video ads are now:
    ...

    • In-feed native videos autoplay

    So - auto-playing video ads that are shimmed into your listings.

    6 votes
  12. [8]
    TrialAndFailure
    Link
    Bad news, for sure. But am I the only one who loved the recent redesign? I no longer have to open a thousand new tabs when browsing.

    Bad news, for sure. But am I the only one who loved the recent redesign? I no longer have to open a thousand new tabs when browsing.

    4 votes
    1. [4]
      EditingAndLayout
      Link Parent
      Why did you have to open a thousand new tabs before?

      Why did you have to open a thousand new tabs before?

      5 votes
      1. [2]
        eYredWkae3QVaX8b
        Link Parent
        If you don't use the fold-out then you have to open everything in a new window. This is a good point for discussion. I don't like opening new tabs because browser tabs are ugly and heavy on...

        If you don't use the fold-out then you have to open everything in a new window.

        This is a good point for discussion. I don't like opening new tabs because browser tabs are ugly and heavy on resources. But i don't like fold-outs either because they make the page heavy to load -- when you are preloading everything -- or you rely on a whole bunch of javascript to do dynamic loading. Both are undesireable but so is opening new tabs. I don't see an easy way around this though...

        3 votes
        1. Rabdomante
          Link Parent
          You can also use a browser extension that automatically loads images, gifs and videos on hover; I currently use Imagus on Firefox.

          If you don't use the fold-out then you have to open everything in a new window.

          You can also use a browser extension that automatically loads images, gifs and videos on hover; I currently use Imagus on Firefox.

      2. TrialAndFailure
        Link Parent
        I haven't even heard of the "fold-out" thing that @eYredWkae3QVaX8b mentioned, so... I guess I don't?

        I haven't even heard of the "fold-out" thing that @eYredWkae3QVaX8b mentioned, so... I guess I don't?

        1 vote
    2. TenThousandSuns
      Link Parent
      I prefer the redesign while browsing on my chromebook in tablet mode, but absolutely hate it when in desktop mode. Tabs are essential when I'm browsing/working at my desk, but not at all when I'm...

      I prefer the redesign while browsing on my chromebook in tablet mode, but absolutely hate it when in desktop mode. Tabs are essential when I'm browsing/working at my desk, but not at all when I'm lounging, or just skimming.

      3 votes
    3. RespectMyAuthoriteh
      Link Parent
      The gifs autoplay feature on the redesign is really awful for humor and unexpected type gifs, though. You want people to read your title BEFORE the gif starts playing and then watch the gif from...

      The gifs autoplay feature on the redesign is really awful for humor and unexpected type gifs, though. You want people to read your title BEFORE the gif starts playing and then watch the gif from the start, not 3 seconds into it as they're scrolling down.

      3 votes
    4. hightrix
      Link Parent
      If you don't, I'd suggest using RES - https://redditenhancementsuite.com/. I think it still only works on the old design, but it makes it so you don't need to open tabs for many post types.

      If you don't, I'd suggest using RES - https://redditenhancementsuite.com/. I think it still only works on the old design, but it makes it so you don't need to open tabs for many post types.

      2 votes
  13. [4]
    Catt
    Link
    All I can say is - ew. And maybe we need a TildesLight, so I can get my daily kitten dose outside of reddit. :P

    All I can say is - ew. And maybe we need a TildesLight, so I can get my daily kitten dose outside of reddit. :P

    3 votes
    1. [2]
      rorso
      Link Parent
      Just go to the source, Imgur. It's all hosted there anyway, and you can browse all images uploaded which is way easier than browsing Reddit these days. They even categorise them via subreddit.

      Just go to the source, Imgur. It's all hosted there anyway, and you can browse all images uploaded which is way easier than browsing Reddit these days. They even categorise them via subreddit.

      9 votes
      1. dodger
        Link Parent
        Not to disagree or request ~ start doing anything different, but imgur usersub gets real weird real quick. Plus I like how, on reddit, devastating news is padded in cute animal gifs. TildesLite...

        Not to disagree or request ~ start doing anything different, but imgur usersub gets real weird real quick. Plus I like how, on reddit, devastating news is padded in cute animal gifs. TildesLite isn't a terrible idea.

  14. Diet_Coke
    Link
    Good thing there's always i.reddit.com I hate video ads, they suck up so much data

    Good thing there's always i.reddit.com

    I hate video ads, they suck up so much data

    3 votes
  15. [4]
    Brian
    Link
    But the engagement metrics say that users love video ads.

    But the engagement metrics say that users love video ads.

    3 votes
    1. [3]
      cfabbro
      Link Parent
      They can't have all those valuable $$$... I mean users... going to YouTube, Imgur or any other external site now can they? Retention, retention, retention.

      They can't have all those valuable $$$... I mean users... going to YouTube, Imgur or any other external site now can they?

      Retention, retention, retention.

      5 votes
      1. [2]
        Brian
        Link Parent
        I honestly don't care that much about retention. I generally don't want to leave a site to see other content. I don't want to be subjected to the crazy bullshit the other content hosts natively....

        I honestly don't care that much about retention. I generally don't want to leave a site to see other content. I don't want to be subjected to the crazy bullshit the other content hosts natively.

        Reddit is several years behind everyone else and instead of doing something new Reddit imports all the crazy bullshit.

        2 votes
        1. annadane
          Link Parent
          What would you define as doing something new?

          What would you define as doing something new?

  16. [3]
    tiz
    Link
    How long until they try to take on youtube and gain content creator? Give them monetization options for videos and such.

    How long until they try to take on youtube and gain content creator? Give them monetization options for videos and such.

    3 votes
    1. Tenar
      Link Parent
      I think this is part of what's happening, along with what @Absay said; them trying to make themselves not just a link aggregator, but also the source of the content. Like they mention briefly in...

      I think this is part of what's happening, along with what @Absay said; them trying to make themselves not just a link aggregator, but also the source of the content. Like they mention briefly in the blog post, you've got 5m views per day, and if something goes viral 100m. If that's all going to a third party you're kind of out of luck. Especially if it's a youtube video that goes viral through reddit, reddit won't see the latter half of that. The video will be shared directly through facebook/other channels, instead of pointing to reddit.

      which is why the redesign is so nasty; have you tried sharing a video from v.redd.it? It's practically impossible, it won't let you without sharing all the comments and everything too.* Plus there's been talks for a few months about an IPO, so I'm guessing once the redesign is refined a bit and they make it out of beta that'll happen? I mean it makes complete sense from their point of view.

      *btw to solve this use youtube-dl

      5 votes
    2. Absay
      Link Parent
      Well, they have already added an "OC" (original content) tag which is exclusive for the redesign. I haven't seen what it's about more carefully but you may actually be right.

      Well, they have already added an "OC" (original content) tag which is exclusive for the redesign. I haven't seen what it's about more carefully but you may actually be right.

      3 votes
  17. starchturrets
    Link
    A reminder to everyone that we must donate to tildes to stop this from happening here!

    A reminder to everyone that we must donate to tildes to stop this from happening here!

    3 votes
  18. [6]
    joelthelion
    Link
    I wonder if they plan to circumvent ad blockers?

    I wonder if they plan to circumvent ad blockers?

    2 votes
    1. [5]
      ZaphodBeebblebrox
      Link Parent
      Because they have never really tried to, I am going to assume they will not. I think they are afraid of alienating power users, who are more likely to use adblockers and drive the content of reddit.

      Because they have never really tried to, I am going to assume they will not. I think they are afraid of alienating power users, who are more likely to use adblockers and drive the content of reddit.

      1 vote
      1. [3]
        hightrix
        Link Parent
        I'll be honest, I think that ship has sailed. The redesign is 100% targeted at advertisers and growth, not retaining the old user base.

        I think they are afraid of alienating power users

        I'll be honest, I think that ship has sailed. The redesign is 100% targeted at advertisers and growth, not retaining the old user base.

        7 votes
        1. [2]
          ZaphodBeebblebrox
          Link Parent
          They still have the likes of gallowboob, people who incessantly post for karma. They still have a portion of their powerusers, even if lots have left.

          They still have the likes of gallowboob, people who incessantly post for karma. They still have a portion of their powerusers, even if lots have left.

          2 votes
          1. hightrix
            Link Parent
            To be fair, I'd prefer users like the one you mentioned stay on reddit. I'll pass on the constant reposts of random pictures with "heart warming" titles. I think there is a significant portion of...

            To be fair, I'd prefer users like the one you mentioned stay on reddit. I'll pass on the constant reposts of random pictures with "heart warming" titles.

            I think there is a significant portion of the user base ready to leave as soon as there is a viable alternative. I'm sure I'm just biased though :)

            Edit: and I have to add, I've just started book 3 in the H2G2 series so I just love your username!

            5 votes
      2. merick
        Link Parent
        If that's the case, they're failing miserably. I mean, here we are...

        I think they are afraid of alienating power users

        If that's the case, they're failing miserably. I mean, here we are...

        4 votes
  19. OriginalBinChicken
    Link
    So glad I got out of advertising technology. Running an ad platform is truly a dumpster fire every single day. If you don't run the ads right, the client is pissed, if you do run the ads right,...

    So glad I got out of advertising technology. Running an ad platform is truly a dumpster fire every single day. If you don't run the ads right, the client is pissed, if you do run the ads right, end users block or whine about it.

    No one likes you.

    1 vote