Game writer. Galactic backpacker. Kaiju whisperer. My other ride is a TARDIS.

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Joined 1 year ago
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Cake day: June 11th, 2023

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  • I try and take a pragmatic stance.

    My desire to find an alternative to Reddit stems in part from a practical aspect. I TRIED using the official app, but it’s as bad as Facebook these days and bombards me with ads. The user experience is terrible.

    So if the API changes were reversed, that means I’d probably still use Sync to check some super-specialized subs or to look up answers from time to time.

    But on the other hand, the damage’s been done. I will not use Reddit where there’s a viable alternative, and Kbin is not only a viable alternative but actually better for conversation and general discussions. It’s a project I’m excited about instead of just using it by pinching my nose.

    So I think a large part of the damage is already done. If Spez 100% reversed his decision, it’d still be too late. It’s like a boyfriend/girlfriend being supremely shitty to you, then realizing their mistakes and apologizing sincerely… Although you might accept their apology, something about the relationship is already broken.

    So I think whatever happens, Reddit has reached the Facebook stage for me. I’m still using Facebook for a few things like staying in touch with some friends or joining events, but the days where I’d go there to find interesting content are long gone.




  • This is like saying Mastodon is easy because you just sign up with mastodon.social.

    You laugh, but as a sorta-but-not-super-techie guy, that initially stopped me from joining Mastodon. It prompted me for an instance to sign up on, and that felt like a serious choice for which I was missing some info.

    Same deal with Lemmy, really. At first glance, the implications of choosing an instance are not clear. And then you start reading and you realize that some instances ARE problematic even if you have access to the entire federated content from it.

    It’s definitely a small but significant barrier to entry, and Kbin presents a front that feels easier to grasp when you’re not familiar with the concept of the Fediverse.


  • What I find kind of hilarious is that many people, like me, are upset the in-app experience is gonna get severely downgraded when third-party apps get pushed into closing, and are reacting by… moving to a place like kbin that doesn’t have an app at all.

    It really shows that the broader issue is much bigger than usability. What kbin has that Reddit has lost is user confidence that improvements will come and will be driven by community needs and not profit.

    Rooting for you, kbin!