Why the Subreddit for Final Fantasy XIV Went Private
Beginning June 12th, various subreddits went “dark”, making their communities private in protest at planned changes to Reddit’s API policy that threaten to disable many third-party apps for browsing their platform. Standing among this protesting communities was Final Fantasy XIV subreddit /r/ffxiv that has left fans searching elsewhere for discussions, memes and fan art related discussions.
Christian Selig, creator of popular third-party Reddit mobile app Apollo, expressed outrage when Reddit revealed its new policy of charging developers that make API calls. Selig estimated that Apollo made seven billion API calls last month alone – or $20 Million over twelve months! In order to continue using Reddit’s API.
Many users rely on third-party apps for accessibility features that they do not find within Reddit’s initial app, including settings to allow visually-impaired people to navigate its pages; moderation tools used by unpaid moderators; and moderation features used by unpaid moderators on Reddit itself. Unfortunately, pricing changes would destroy many third-party mobile applications available and alter functionality within browser extensions like Reddit Enhancement Suite – leaving many unable to browse Reddit effectively and enjoying all that the service can bring.
