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Note that Reddit already has some "premium membership" in place and yet from those reddit makes about 1/25 times what it makes from advertising (2021). So what

Note that Reddit already has some "premium membership" in place and yet from those reddit makes about 1/25 times what it makes from advertising (2021). So what you're missing is that, in general, people are not that willing to pay just because "you ask them to pay" as you assume. The premium subscribers are already subscribed. So... should they include the "third party app API key" as part of that subscription? Then they would be making no money from it. Should they charge an additional amount? How would they justify that to people already paying? Also what you mention as people being "very firmly hooked in Reddit" actually means that redditors feel intensely that they already contribute, that it is their submissions and comments which brings value to reddit. When that's the prevailing feeling, making them pay is hard. It all indicates that this is a much harder sell than you make it appear.

huhtenberg 3y ago
Their "premium membership" is a complete dud. It has literally no tangible benefits, so I'd argue that most people view this subscription as entirely optional goodwill gesture. It only makes sense to scrap it and replace with a general "platform access fee" and then wave it for official clients in exchange for ads. This is an inherently fair arrangement. If the fee is modest for medium and heavy users, say something like $5/mo, that'd be exactly the push needed to covert all existing goodwill into $. Moreover, if it's tiny, like $2/mo, this may also convert even light users. It's not as hard of a sell as you paint it to be. What's jarring is that they aren't even trying to discuss this option. > redditors feel intensely that they already contribute I don't think this is true. This is a flippant and selfish attitude, which may be vocalized often, but it doesn't mean that it's prevalent. Vast majority of users understand perfectly well that the company needs funding to go on and if it collapses, their online communities will go down with it. This all hinges on the assumption that users like Reddit, as a company. And what Reddit's been doing recently all but ensures that it's not the case. Another very puzzling move on their part. Almost as if there's a bunch of suits at the top fidgeting with spreadsheets and nobody else.
- genezeta 3y ago
  > Vast majority of users understand perfectly well that the company needs funding to go on and if it collapses, their online communities will go down with it. The vast majority of users understand about funding but largely prefer having some ads. That is the price most users are willing to pay. The exact benefit premium membership gives you is hiding ads, which is at the core of the discussion here. And as I said, it accounts for only 3% of what ads make. And again, you underestimate the feeling of participation as "contribution". Particularly for those users willing to "go further". The people that most invest on the community do so because it gives them as much of a feeling of belonging as one of "ownership". No, those feelings don't mean users "like Reddit", much less as a company; people have strong feelings towards "their" particular subreddits.
  - huhtenberg 3y ago
    > The exact benefit premium membership gives you is hiding ads The same can be trivially done with a browser add-on, which is exactly why their premium offering is a nonsensical one. I've been a premium member for several years and I view it strictly as a show of support for what they do, nothing else. If they want the ad revenue, they need to control the delivery. Hence the push for the official app. Lots of people don't like the app, some don't like ads and they are opinionated because Reddit is a part of their routine. So, no, I disagree with you completely that offering a paid option to participate in Reddit on users' own terms will not be in demand.
    - genezeta 3y ago
      I guessed you would disagree. It's a bit sad, though, coming here asking "what am I missing?" and then making every effort to discard anything anyone says. Don't mean to antagonize; just think it's sad.
      - huhtenberg 3y ago
        Well, no, I'm not discarding them. I understand the cynicism, but I also hoped that there was some sort of deep reason for making decisions that are clearly not aligned with the interests of their user base. I've been on Reddit since the '10s and if one takes care to curate the sub list, it can be a truly wonderful and pleasant place. Would hate to see it circle down the drain. That's all.

huhtenberg 3y ago

Their "premium membership" is a complete dud. It has literally no tangible benefits, so I'd argue that most people view this subscription as entirely optional goodwill gesture. It only makes sense to scrap it and replace with a general "platform access fee" and then wave it for official clients in exchange for ads. This is an inherently fair arrangement. If the fee is modest for medium and heavy users, say something like $5/mo, that'd be exactly the push needed to covert all existing goodwill into $. Moreover, if it's tiny, like $2/mo, this may also convert even light users. It's not as hard of a sell as you paint it to be. What's jarring is that they aren't even trying to discuss this option. > redditors feel intensely that they already contribute I don't think this is true. This is a flippant and selfish attitude, which may be vocalized often, but it doesn't mean that it's prevalent. Vast majority of users understand perfectly well that the company needs funding to go on and if it collapses, their online communities will go down with it. This all hinges on the assumption that users like Reddit, as a company. And what Reddit's been doing recently all but ensures that it's not the case. Another very puzzling move on their part. Almost as if there's a bunch of suits at the top fidgeting with spreadsheets and nobody else.

genezeta 3y ago
> Vast majority of users understand perfectly well that the company needs funding to go on and if it collapses, their online communities will go down with it. The vast majority of users understand about funding but largely prefer having some ads. That is the price most users are willing to pay. The exact benefit premium membership gives you is hiding ads, which is at the core of the discussion here. And as I said, it accounts for only 3% of what ads make. And again, you underestimate the feeling of participation as "contribution". Particularly for those users willing to "go further". The people that most invest on the community do so because it gives them as much of a feeling of belonging as one of "ownership". No, those feelings don't mean users "like Reddit", much less as a company; people have strong feelings towards "their" particular subreddits.
- huhtenberg 3y ago
  > The exact benefit premium membership gives you is hiding ads The same can be trivially done with a browser add-on, which is exactly why their premium offering is a nonsensical one. I've been a premium member for several years and I view it strictly as a show of support for what they do, nothing else. If they want the ad revenue, they need to control the delivery. Hence the push for the official app. Lots of people don't like the app, some don't like ads and they are opinionated because Reddit is a part of their routine. So, no, I disagree with you completely that offering a paid option to participate in Reddit on users' own terms will not be in demand.
  - genezeta 3y ago
    I guessed you would disagree. It's a bit sad, though, coming here asking "what am I missing?" and then making every effort to discard anything anyone says. Don't mean to antagonize; just think it's sad.
    - huhtenberg 3y ago
      Well, no, I'm not discarding them. I understand the cynicism, but I also hoped that there was some sort of deep reason for making decisions that are clearly not aligned with the interests of their user base. I've been on Reddit since the '10s and if one takes care to curate the sub list, it can be a truly wonderful and pleasant place. Would hate to see it circle down the drain. That's all.