Yeah, I’m thinking that each subreddit’s choice to stay private or restricted is a little irrelevant in the long run. The big realization here is how everyone has become so dependent on one single platform: Reddit. Reddit corporate has made it abundantly clear that all of its users and all of its content are simply there to support the compnay’s bottom line, and that their needs and preferences are completely irrelevant in the grand scheme. We need some competition across different platforms to help reel in these mega-centralized mass social media destinations, forcing them to cater to their user’s interests as well. I understand the idea that Reddit needs to make money to survive, and I don’t want to stop them from doing that. But with an entire world of solutions, is this really the only one they could have chosen? If, for example, they were actually responding to the AI companies training their models on Reddit at great bandwidth cost to Reddit, why not just price out the AI companies and leave the 3rd party apps alone? I don’t buy their cover up story. It’s all ads, content control, and the desire to press people into their own algorithm and behavioral ecosystem.
Yeah, I totally agree here. There is an optimal size. Three people commenting on one post might be too limited, but 10k people commenting on one post is pointless. There’s a middle ground that will be awesome. Also, maybe the slightly more decentralized nature of a federated setup will solve that problem entirely? I can foresee places that do become Reddit size, with islands of tiny intimate communities that preserve the smaller feel that people seem to be enjoying today. Only time will tell!