Hey there /r/r4rmidwest

One of the less enjoyable mod posts today, but an important one, that we hope you'll take the time to read.

Recently Reddit Inc has announced changes to their API, which, if enacted, will shut down many, if not all, 3rd party apps that a large number of Redditors use to access and enjoy their favorite communities - this one included.

One of the most critical changes to the API is moving from a free to a paid model, resulting in expenses that developers of 3rd app developers cannot afford. To put the price change into context, Apollo, one of Reddit's most popular 3rd party apps, is looking at the cost of $1.7 million per month to continue operating. That's a cost of $12,000 per 50 million API requests. In contrast, Apollo pays Imgur $166 for every 50 million API calls.

This means popular apps like Apollo, Reddit Is Fun, Narwhal and many more will have to shut down, permanently.

Even if you're not using a 3rd party app, these changes will likely impact the communities you enjoy, with the vast majority of moderation teams relying on 3rd party or self-made tools that utilize Reddit's API.

For us specifically, that means various moderation bots, which do a whole lot of work behind the scenes to help mods manage the sub as well as drastically reduce the scam and spam content that makes its way through Reddit's woefully underpowered automod tools.

And on top of all that, it paints a bleak picture of what is to come for those of us who use other tools, like Reddit Enhancement Suite and old.reddit.com.

Here's a little TLDR on why this is important.

So what are we planning?

On June 12th, we and a growing number of other subs - large and small - will go dark for 48 hours. During that time, you will not be able to view or post any content on /r/r4rmidwest.

This action isn't something we take lightly.

We understand that many of you enjoy coming here daily to keep up with posts from your area (and to trash-talk the latest copypasta we've all seen 100 times), but we believe that we must take a stand on this topic - and this is how we can do so.

We understand that Reddit is a company that has to make money to offer us a place to be the community that we are - but killing beloved 3rd party apps is not the way to do it.

We are not asking Reddit to provide a paid service for free - we are asking for reasonable pricing for apps people have come to love and depend on to participate in their communities.

We can't tell you that the blackout will solve the problem because we don't know. But we have to try.

What you can do to support this

While subs going dark is one thing, regular users can also help.

Reach out to Reddit via the channels available: Modmail /r/reddit, comment in relevant posts regarding the API changes, and submit your comments via the contact forms.

Spread the word about the changes and the consequences where you can. It doesn't have to be on Reddit. The important thing is getting its attention.

Participate in the communities that highlight this issue: /r/Save3rdPartyApps, /r/apolloapp, /r/redditisfun, /r/getnarwhal/

And finally, stay off Reddit completely from June 12th to 14th. The blackout is one thing, but users staying away from the site entirely will send an equally important message.

But don't forget: Don't be a jerk. As frustrating as this is, being toxic or aggressive is not the way to go. Remember the human on the other side of the screen.