If you haven’t heard, Reddit users are organizing a blackout June 12-14 in protest of technical changes to Reddit’s back end; some subs even intend to stay dark indefinitely. You might have heard about this in context of 3rd-party apps like Apollo, but the issue is much bigger than that.

In an attempt to simplify summarize:

• Different parts of the internet communicate with each via API (application programming interface). This is a way for websites/software/whatever to exchange data in a secure, standardized way. As an example, if you play any mobile games that allow you to connect to Facebook friends - that’s an API.
• On April 18, Reddit announced it would change pricing for commercial API use. That’s not unexpected; providing API infrastructure costs them money.
• However, the price they are asking is 10-20x more than similar services. Many 3rd-party apps, bots, and other services have already announced their closure as they see the writing on the wall.
• r/AskHistorians is an example of a big sub that relies on API access to be the high quality community that it is. This post goes into detail on how these changes will harm them.

While this is a small sub that doesn’t require a lot of effort to moderate, I’ll note that we wouldn’t be here without Jane Austen, an avid reader and brilliant writer, who did so while suffering recurrent eye issues. The fact that visually-impaired users are being left in the cold by Reddit (whose own iOS app and mod tools are inaccessible!!) makes it feel important to participate. r/JaneAustenFF exists to support all writers and readers, regardless of our limitations.

And that’s the rub—Reddit wouldn’t exist without volunteer activity by moderators and contributions from users like you. Therefore, we deserve a significant say in major decisions like what Reddit announced on April 18. That hasn’t been given, and the black out is an effort to demand it.

From June 12-14, this sub will be set to private. I’d also encourage you to:

1. Not login to Reddit
2. Use an adblocker if you must use Reddit
3. Uninstall Reddit’s mobile app if you use it
4. Ask Reddit to appropriately price their product and prioritize human-centered development: message the mods of r/reddit, message u/reddit, and/or submit a help request.

With the time you’ll save not browsing reddit, I’d suggest:

1. Work on that fan fic you’ve been meaning to start
2. Read that fan fic you’ve been meaning to start
3. Read some Jane Austen!

In order to support each other in this effort, we’ll be running a writing exchange this week. Details HERE.