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You call it degradation, Reddit calls it "explosive growth". The UX redesign was hugely successful in attracting new users, users who could then be monetized.

You call it degradation, Reddit calls it "explosive growth". The UX redesign was hugely successful in attracting new users, users who could then be monetized. The "useless answers" are wildly popular responses because people generally prefer to meme, not solve problems. Your complaint essentially boils down to, "Why do people not behave how I want them to?" and that, my friend, is a question as old as time itself. From the HN guidelines, but it also applies to Reddit: > Please don't post comments saying that HN is turning into Reddit. It's a semi-noob[0] illusion[1], as[2] old[3] as[4] the[5] hills[6]. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=926703 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=926703 [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=633099 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=633099 [2] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=582513 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=582513 [3] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=289254 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=289254 [4] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=253657 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=253657 [5] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=66057 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=66057 [6] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13852 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13852

seydor 4y ago
> The UX redesign was hugely successful in attracting new users Is there evidence for that?
kelseyfrog 4y ago
The UX redesign is also clearly part of a mobile-first strategy. The mobile site funnels users into the mobile app, and the desktop site clearly echos the mobile design principles. Mobile users fundamentally engage with the platform in different ways. For one, they form a different demographic segment than older users, and secondly the mobile app frames and filters content in uniquely mobile ways. High-signal content is much more difficult to craft on a mobile device so more mobile use represents a greater proportion of content noise. Early adopters seek high-signal over content quantity and will move platforms if the opportunity arises. Such a migration will play into future case studies critiquing Reddits MAU-chasing at the expense of hollowing out their long-time user base.
- parineum 4y ago
  > Mobile users fundamentally engage with the platform in different ways. For one, they form a different demographic segment than older users, and secondly the mobile app frames and filters content in uniquely mobile ways. High-signal content is much more difficult to craft on a mobile device so more mobile use represents a greater proportion of content noise. I'd argue the only thing that really matters about mobile users is they are online _way_ more often. Engagement can be higher on mobile because the access is mobile.
  - kelseyfrog 4y ago
    Maybe? I guess I'm speaking from personal experience here when I say writing in-depth sourced and edited comments[higher quality] is more difficult for me on a mobile device. But perhaps, my experience not the norm. Is it different for others?
    - pixl97 4y ago
      Quantity of engagement > quality of engagement Or "more ads better"
      - ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
        and app means more user info for ads
    - GekkePrutser 4y ago
      Engagement isn't about how much time you spend in the editor writing insightful comments. It's how much you scroll through the feed laced with ads. Sadly.
      - kelseyfrog 4y ago
        For sure. Optimizing for MAUs disincentives quality content.
    - 4y ago
butterfi 4y ago
It also depends on what sub-reddit you're in. Some are really good, some are BS echo-chambers. It can't all be BS considering how many people are using Google Site search to get "better" answers from sub-reddits as opposed to generic google search results.
- denimnerd42 4y ago
  real people are better than seo spam but these days not by much
- NonNefarious 4y ago
  A lot of subs are useless because they're moderated by infantile admins who delete posts and ban users for no legitimate (or even stated) reason. I received a permanent ban for asking (politely) why a bunch of on-topic comments (most of them not mine) had been deleted in a thread discussing a technical topic. These asshole admins then followed me to another, related sub where they permanently banned me for answering another user's question about a product; again with no excuse. This reveals the depressing fact that Reddit is an inbred community of inbred moderators who bully users for fun and render the entire platform a waste of effort. You spend a bunch of time helping people, only to have your work deleted and being made to feel like you're the bad guy. Just typing this out, I'm getting pissed-off and tense, for having done nothing offensive at all. Who needs that in his day? I discovered Reddit after Digg sold out and became a spam aggregator, and everyone abandoned it in favor of Reddit. I see that someone below also referred to this incident, and marked it as the beginning of the decline of Reddit. I find it odd to blame the Digg ex-pats because Digg was (in its heyday) a tech-news site not too different from this one. But not long after arriving at Reddit, I did notice that the technical content soon diminished and was replaced by an endless stream of cutesy "This little guy followed me home" posts about stray animals or other pleasant but wholly useless content. Sad.
  - robotjosh 4y ago
    This was my experience too. I got banned from my city’s subreddit for the stated reason “don’t move here” and then harassed across several local subreddits. Paid reddit admins determined that is not in fact harassment. Then later these admins banned me because they said being mean to racists is hate speech. Seems like racist assholes run the place from mods up to the paid admins.
mattwilsonn888 4y ago
> A lot of people have been saying it for a while. > Therefore its bogus! What kind of reasoning is that?
SilasX 4y ago
I’m happy to entertain that thesis, but what is the evidence? How do you known it wasn’t other factors that drove greater usage, like ads on other platforms or word-of-mouth? I notice you didn’t post any such evidence. Incidentally, if you’re really into HN guidelines, it might be a good idea to avoid inflammatory comments that lack the evidence to back them up.
usrn 4y ago
I think they legitimately thought it was an improvement. The guy responsible for it actually started a thread here to show off. The comments were pretty rough.
- NonNefarious 4y ago
  Link?
nunez 4y ago
Agreed. You can't endlessly dumbscroll on old reddit and engage with other Redditors while you can, easily, on new Reddit. Lots of people like dumbscrolling.

seydor 4y ago

> The UX redesign was hugely successful in attracting new users Is there evidence for that?

kelseyfrog 4y ago

The UX redesign is also clearly part of a mobile-first strategy. The mobile site funnels users into the mobile app, and the desktop site clearly echos the mobile design principles. Mobile users fundamentally engage with the platform in different ways. For one, they form a different demographic segment than older users, and secondly the mobile app frames and filters content in uniquely mobile ways. High-signal content is much more difficult to craft on a mobile device so more mobile use represents a greater proportion of content noise. Early adopters seek high-signal over content quantity and will move platforms if the opportunity arises. Such a migration will play into future case studies critiquing Reddits MAU-chasing at the expense of hollowing out their long-time user base.

parineum 4y ago
> Mobile users fundamentally engage with the platform in different ways. For one, they form a different demographic segment than older users, and secondly the mobile app frames and filters content in uniquely mobile ways. High-signal content is much more difficult to craft on a mobile device so more mobile use represents a greater proportion of content noise. I'd argue the only thing that really matters about mobile users is they are online _way_ more often. Engagement can be higher on mobile because the access is mobile.
- kelseyfrog 4y ago
  Maybe? I guess I'm speaking from personal experience here when I say writing in-depth sourced and edited comments[higher quality] is more difficult for me on a mobile device. But perhaps, my experience not the norm. Is it different for others?
  - pixl97 4y ago
    Quantity of engagement > quality of engagement Or "more ads better"
    - ImPostingOnHN 4y ago
      and app means more user info for ads
  - GekkePrutser 4y ago
    Engagement isn't about how much time you spend in the editor writing insightful comments. It's how much you scroll through the feed laced with ads. Sadly.
    - kelseyfrog 4y ago
      For sure. Optimizing for MAUs disincentives quality content.
  - 4y ago

butterfi 4y ago

It also depends on what sub-reddit you're in. Some are really good, some are BS echo-chambers. It can't all be BS considering how many people are using Google Site search to get "better" answers from sub-reddits as opposed to generic google search results.

denimnerd42 4y ago
real people are better than seo spam but these days not by much
NonNefarious 4y ago
A lot of subs are useless because they're moderated by infantile admins who delete posts and ban users for no legitimate (or even stated) reason. I received a permanent ban for asking (politely) why a bunch of on-topic comments (most of them not mine) had been deleted in a thread discussing a technical topic. These asshole admins then followed me to another, related sub where they permanently banned me for answering another user's question about a product; again with no excuse. This reveals the depressing fact that Reddit is an inbred community of inbred moderators who bully users for fun and render the entire platform a waste of effort. You spend a bunch of time helping people, only to have your work deleted and being made to feel like you're the bad guy. Just typing this out, I'm getting pissed-off and tense, for having done nothing offensive at all. Who needs that in his day? I discovered Reddit after Digg sold out and became a spam aggregator, and everyone abandoned it in favor of Reddit. I see that someone below also referred to this incident, and marked it as the beginning of the decline of Reddit. I find it odd to blame the Digg ex-pats because Digg was (in its heyday) a tech-news site not too different from this one. But not long after arriving at Reddit, I did notice that the technical content soon diminished and was replaced by an endless stream of cutesy "This little guy followed me home" posts about stray animals or other pleasant but wholly useless content. Sad.
- robotjosh 4y ago
  This was my experience too. I got banned from my city’s subreddit for the stated reason “don’t move here” and then harassed across several local subreddits. Paid reddit admins determined that is not in fact harassment. Then later these admins banned me because they said being mean to racists is hate speech. Seems like racist assholes run the place from mods up to the paid admins.

mattwilsonn888 4y ago

> A lot of people have been saying it for a while. > Therefore its bogus! What kind of reasoning is that?

SilasX 4y ago

I’m happy to entertain that thesis, but what is the evidence? How do you known it wasn’t other factors that drove greater usage, like ads on other platforms or word-of-mouth? I notice you didn’t post any such evidence. Incidentally, if you’re really into HN guidelines, it might be a good idea to avoid inflammatory comments that lack the evidence to back them up.

usrn 4y ago

I think they legitimately thought it was an improvement. The guy responsible for it actually started a thread here to show off. The comments were pretty rough.

NonNefarious 4y ago
Link?

nunez 4y ago

Agreed. You can't endlessly dumbscroll on old reddit and engage with other Redditors while you can, easily, on new Reddit. Lots of people like dumbscrolling.