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Oh, wait, this feels like the start of a cyberpunk story. If TikTok gets banned, where to the users go? Instagram. Threads could replace Twitter. Reddit is g

Oh, wait, this feels like the start of a cyberpunk story. If TikTok gets banned, where to the users go? Instagram. Threads could replace Twitter. Reddit is going downhill... Maybe Meta could even buy it in a firesale? Outside of chat apps like Discord, Slack, Teams and Telegram (which compete with WhatsApp), Meta will have consolidated most of the world's social media under them. And that's assuming they dont buy out Discord.

aio2 3y ago
You could honestly be right.
ducharmdev 3y ago
The beginnings of a western WeChat?
- 0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago
  I hate how right you are. I do my best to stay out of the Facebook ecosystem (although I am sure they have an extensive profile of my web activities). I am surprised they have not tried to make their own non-crypto financial system. Could embed it into restaurant storefronts and the marketplace.
- NovaDudely 3y ago
  Ouch... yeah that sounds about right.
- menshiki 3y ago
  Meta does not have the support of legislators. The EU would regulate any service that would even aspire to become a Western WeChat way before they have any chance to succeed.
  - jadtz 3y ago
    Doesnt EU already have somewhat of a WeChat, everybody uses whatsapp there. Definitely Meta already won that market.
    - Arkhaine_kupo 3y ago
      The problem with wechat is not use, its how its embedded everywhere. Being able to do payments without a bank through whatsapp is way beyond the risk appetitte of european regulators for example. Plus forcing whatsapp to add e2e encryption already fixes most of the issues in terms of risk to privacy regardless of how big the userbase it.
    - menshiki 3y ago
      WeChat is so much more than just a messaging app. This is a common misconception when comparing WeChat and Whatsapp. The functionality of those two is not even remotely comparable.
    - honzabe 3y ago
      >> everybody uses whatsapp there That claim does not ring true to me. Maybe a few years ago, but now? I don't use whatsapp and I don't know anyone who uses it, except for a group of expats from South America who probably use it because it's still widespread in South America and their friends use it, maybe?
- amon22 3y ago
  Ironic because apparently that is the long-time strategy of Elon with Twitter (X app). Off course these plans seem pretty delusional now...
- kilroy123 3y ago
  Didn't ever really realize this until you said it... WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, messenger, and Facebook all in one app. Horrifying.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
esskay 3y ago
> Reddit is going downhill... Maybe Meta could even buy it in a firesale? The problem is Reddit has very little real value, and to get that value you'd have to go even further into pushing its users away from the platform as you'd need to be able to target and identify individuals. Unlike Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc the majority of Reddit is very intentionally anonymous, not even requiring an email address. A sizable portion still use 'old reddit' because of how awful and hostile the redesign was. To get it to a point of profitability it would need to be more viable for advertisers, and that only comes with forcing them down users throats, which traditionally is not a reddit thing and would alienate people even more than they've already done recently. It's also worth noting its 18 years old and still hasn't come remotely close to being profitable.
- n3m4c 3y ago
  Reddit has a lot of value, just not people who can utilize it. Anonymous nature of Reddit doesn't matter when you have Meta's cookies while accessing it. Content is also nicely categorized so they can easily push, for example, insurance and credit card ads on r/PersonalFinance. It is pretty wild that Mark Zuckerberg is the only person to figure out how to make money off of social media after more than 20 years of social media existing.
- Arkhaine_kupo 3y ago
  > The problem is Reddit has very little real value I think the fact that users already go looking for a specific thing at a specific subreddit makes the value instantly apparent. Being able to target users with an interest in your niche is infinitely valuable. Personalised ads are the entire business model of google and facebook to behemoths. The problem is reddit is led by the most unqualified management of any top 10 most visited world site and they spent 2 quarters developing NFT profile pictures instead of mod tools, or advertiser platforms. Having non intrusive ads, with good quality, that directly relate to what you care about? Is a dream of users and brands. Have an AMA with a movie start or a videogame developer and have them pay for it as marketing, or allow a weekly "share your news" from brands where they can talk new products, or versions of their thing. There are a million ways to monetise reddit, in ways that the community would not be angry. But making it look like tiktok, forcing a terrible app, spending billions hosting your own images and video, and having mods do free labour for you while you fight to get any money in... is not the best way to go about it.
rvz 3y ago
Such purchases of Reddit and Discord under Meta is just not going to be allowed to happen, for anti-trust reasons. Today, it's almost as everyone has forgotten about social media monopolization.
The_Double 3y ago
Reddit going downhill is mostly because they are trying to become more like Meta. A competitor should be less meta, not more meta.
- giarc 3y ago
  Imagine if Meta bought Reddit, pulled the need for ads and gave the volunteer moderators access to Meta's team of 50,000+ moderators. "You deal with the conversations and the messages from users, we'll take care of the taking down user content that is against the rules." Meta uses the content to train their AI models, removes API pricing (or reduces it greatly, no need to IPO and therefore no need to show revenue).

aio2 3y ago

You could honestly be right.

ducharmdev 3y ago

The beginnings of a western WeChat?

0cf8612b2e1e 3y ago
I hate how right you are. I do my best to stay out of the Facebook ecosystem (although I am sure they have an extensive profile of my web activities). I am surprised they have not tried to make their own non-crypto financial system. Could embed it into restaurant storefronts and the marketplace.
NovaDudely 3y ago
Ouch... yeah that sounds about right.
menshiki 3y ago
Meta does not have the support of legislators. The EU would regulate any service that would even aspire to become a Western WeChat way before they have any chance to succeed.
- jadtz 3y ago
  Doesnt EU already have somewhat of a WeChat, everybody uses whatsapp there. Definitely Meta already won that market.
  - Arkhaine_kupo 3y ago
    The problem with wechat is not use, its how its embedded everywhere. Being able to do payments without a bank through whatsapp is way beyond the risk appetitte of european regulators for example. Plus forcing whatsapp to add e2e encryption already fixes most of the issues in terms of risk to privacy regardless of how big the userbase it.
  - menshiki 3y ago
    WeChat is so much more than just a messaging app. This is a common misconception when comparing WeChat and Whatsapp. The functionality of those two is not even remotely comparable.
  - honzabe 3y ago
    >> everybody uses whatsapp there That claim does not ring true to me. Maybe a few years ago, but now? I don't use whatsapp and I don't know anyone who uses it, except for a group of expats from South America who probably use it because it's still widespread in South America and their friends use it, maybe?
amon22 3y ago
Ironic because apparently that is the long-time strategy of Elon with Twitter (X app). Off course these plans seem pretty delusional now...
kilroy123 3y ago
Didn't ever really realize this until you said it... WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, messenger, and Facebook all in one app. Horrifying.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

esskay 3y ago

> Reddit is going downhill... Maybe Meta could even buy it in a firesale? The problem is Reddit has very little real value, and to get that value you'd have to go even further into pushing its users away from the platform as you'd need to be able to target and identify individuals. Unlike Twitter, Instagram, Facebook etc the majority of Reddit is very intentionally anonymous, not even requiring an email address. A sizable portion still use 'old reddit' because of how awful and hostile the redesign was. To get it to a point of profitability it would need to be more viable for advertisers, and that only comes with forcing them down users throats, which traditionally is not a reddit thing and would alienate people even more than they've already done recently. It's also worth noting its 18 years old and still hasn't come remotely close to being profitable.

n3m4c 3y ago
Reddit has a lot of value, just not people who can utilize it. Anonymous nature of Reddit doesn't matter when you have Meta's cookies while accessing it. Content is also nicely categorized so they can easily push, for example, insurance and credit card ads on r/PersonalFinance. It is pretty wild that Mark Zuckerberg is the only person to figure out how to make money off of social media after more than 20 years of social media existing.
Arkhaine_kupo 3y ago
> The problem is Reddit has very little real value I think the fact that users already go looking for a specific thing at a specific subreddit makes the value instantly apparent. Being able to target users with an interest in your niche is infinitely valuable. Personalised ads are the entire business model of google and facebook to behemoths. The problem is reddit is led by the most unqualified management of any top 10 most visited world site and they spent 2 quarters developing NFT profile pictures instead of mod tools, or advertiser platforms. Having non intrusive ads, with good quality, that directly relate to what you care about? Is a dream of users and brands. Have an AMA with a movie start or a videogame developer and have them pay for it as marketing, or allow a weekly "share your news" from brands where they can talk new products, or versions of their thing. There are a million ways to monetise reddit, in ways that the community would not be angry. But making it look like tiktok, forcing a terrible app, spending billions hosting your own images and video, and having mods do free labour for you while you fight to get any money in... is not the best way to go about it.

rvz 3y ago

Such purchases of Reddit and Discord under Meta is just not going to be allowed to happen, for anti-trust reasons. Today, it's almost as everyone has forgotten about social media monopolization.

The_Double 3y ago

Reddit going downhill is mostly because they are trying to become more like Meta. A competitor should be less meta, not more meta.

giarc 3y ago
Imagine if Meta bought Reddit, pulled the need for ads and gave the volunteer moderators access to Meta's team of 50,000+ moderators. "You deal with the conversations and the messages from users, we'll take care of the taking down user content that is against the rules." Meta uses the content to train their AI models, removes API pricing (or reduces it greatly, no need to IPO and therefore no need to show revenue).