Aaron

I, too, miss Usenet.

Slashdot isn’t really dead though is it? Still very active, just, not as popular perhaps.

Can we also have a moment of silence for all the other great link sites that have died?

Stumbleupon, kuro5hin, digg, fark (still exists technically but as a shell of its former self)

What was your favorite before reddit?

Investment usually ultimately ruins everything. In reddit’s case it’s an even tighter needle to thread because the platform itself produces little value. To be attractive to investors and to produce returns on that investment (perpetually), they have to make operational decisions that prioritize monetization (like all public companies).

u/spez wants his big exit and he’ll burn some of it to the ground to get it. But he’ll probably get rich, so good for him.

Relay for Reddit has been my jam for so many years.

It’s a shame to see this happen, but it’s also inevitable and almost surprising that it has taken this long. Just needed the right new CEO, an IPO strategy, and a total disregard for user sentiment.

If I may be so bold, I think what you might be bristled by (because I share these feelings) is the notion of “parasocial relationships.” I learned that term pretty recently and it helped me put a label on some of the things I observe and feel in and about the social networking world.

I have had really nice “personal” interactions on Reddit, but I don’t know those individuals, who they are, what they like, or even their names. On Twitter and Instagram and TikTok it’s all about creating a personal “brand” and people following that identity. That’s parasocial. You still don’t know them, but you kind of think you do.

I think I prefer the former.