On old.reddit, ads were being inserted as regular posts when I last visited. It's like they're trying to drive people away.
Were you using an ad blocker?
I use an adblocker, and the ads disguised as posts appeared for me.
I use uBlock Origin, but I guess it's possible that it malfunctioned that day.
If I had to guess, I'd say they're trying to maximize their market cap. It's no secret that they're looking for a buyer and/or eyeing and IPO. The more profitable they can seem before that, the more money Huffman can walk away with.
I've never used the official reddit app so I can't say how they've changed over time in there, but on old reddit, they used to be (or still are?) similar to other posts and appeared at the very top of the page. At least that way they were unobtrusive and you didn't get a giant image unless you clicked on it.
Good on ya for never using the app. Only reason I did was because I was an Alien Blue guy. They gave free premium to all AB users for a long time so I never saw the ads and didn’t know any differently.
When that expired I def got punched in the face with subversive ads and it was bullshit. That was when I switched to Apollo.
These ads I’m seeing now are the modern equivalent of popups. It’s Reddit’s fuck you to me which I’ve returned in kind.
I sat out four or five days for the blackout. Went back and discovered how they'd treated some mods and that was it. I deleted all my input that was of any significance and deleted my account. And I won't be going back.
The only thing being served on their buffet line is shit sandwiches. But some people (those remaining) are just gluttons.
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