As quoted from the linked post.

It looks like you’re part of one of our experiments. The logged-in mobile web experience is currently unavailable for a portion of users. To access the site you can log on via desktop, the mobile apps, or wait for the experiment to conclude.

This is separate from the API issue. This will actually BLOCK you from even viewing reddit on your phone without using the official app.

Archive.org link in case the post is removed.

https://web.archive.org/web/20230611224026/https://old.reddit.com/r/help/comments/135tly1/helpdid_reddit_just_destroy_mobile_browser_access/jim40zg/

  • sintamo@beehaw.org
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    1 year ago

    It’s one thing to test a new idea or a UX tweak or similar on a small portion of users - but just turning off a key way to access your service is so just so weird to me. How many of Reddit’s decisions at this point are some version of, “hey, how angry do they get? What can we get away with?”

    • overlordror@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      People need to understand that this is about tracking your eyeballs. Reddit viewed on a webpage does not provide the metadata they want. What metadata does the app provide? Things you wouldn’t think about wanting as a human, but the aggregate is very valuable.

      Stuff like how long did you watch that video Ad? Where did you click on screen and at what time? What content were you viewing and what course of action did you take to get there? Web viewing only shows the landing page you arrived on reddit from and the exit page that took you away from reddit. Performing these actions in the app provides metadata cookie crumbs like a trail of roach shit to every single thing you’ve done on reddit in micro activities.

      • darkkite@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        I’m not sure. I’ve worked at companies using amplitude and hotjar that can record all click event and sessions on web

          • BitOneZero@beehaw.org
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            1 year ago

            That’s probably a big part. Web browsers can do ad blocking. Within the official Reddit app that’s way more difficult.

          • 42triangles@beehaw.org
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            1 year ago

            Users can block those on desktop without issue. On mobile it’s a bit harder so most people I know don’t even if they use ublock or something on their PCs/laptops (though that is of course only anecdotal).

            So if anything if that was the issue they should’ve shut off support for the desktop version LOL /s

      • bionicjoey@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        It’s a bizzare move though, given that basically every other social media in the world doesn’t block mobile browsers.

    • gravalicious@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Bruh, I agree. I’m super interested to see the fallout of the community from this. I know it’s super easy to say “fuck /u/spez”, but how many people will truly pull through to delete their accounts and/or stop using reddit?

    • MrGoodBright@beehaw.org
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      1 year ago

      It’s so completely wild and backwards. Imagine your not a reddit user, but a search leads you to a reddit link, and you’re on your phone. You see all this stuff about downloading the app instead, and you’re just going to bail, never reading the post. If there was no friction, they may have converted a new user.

      They act like everyone already uses reddit and the users are so addicted they’ll put up with anything.

      • Temple Square@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Quora, basically.

        I don’t think I’ve ever successfully read one of those, because Google brings me to the site and then it demands I log in. They even go so far as to blur all the content. It’s really really stupid.

      • Acetamide@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        They act like everyone already uses reddit and the users are so addicted they’ll put up with anything.

        To be honest, this may actually be true for a significant portion of the userbase.

      • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
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        1 year ago

        They’re going to do the Instagram thing where you can view a teaser but then it forces you to the app.

        • jmp242@sopuli.xyz
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          1 year ago

          This is why I never got into instagram. So often I just couldn’t view the image. I’m like, imgur is better than this.

    • Hamartiogonic@sopuli.xyz
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      1 year ago

      The more I look at this mess, the more I see elements of speedrunning. Reddit is really trying very hard to loose as many users as possible as fast as possible. It’s as if there’s a competition between Reddit and Twitter.