My remark is probably too harsh. I meant that companies developing for-profit products based on another company’s product/infrastructure, which they do not own, will be subject to whatever changes the latter decides to make. Any company that develops such a product should understand and take that into consideration. That said, I think reddit made a mistake re: its pricing for API access because the site benefits from that collaboration more than is harmed. However, if reddit wants to cut off its nose to spite its face they’re entitled to do so, just as we’re entitled to leave.
Agree completely! Reddit has never been in the business of ‘doing the right thing’ and these API fees are clearly designed to discourage third-party developers. Reddit leadership do not seem to understand what drives the value of their own product and have badly misread both their short- and long-term futures, so the experiment will likely end in failure.