Blackouts and Black Ink
Welcome

The Reddit blackout is big in the news as I write this column.
Dear Reader,
The Reddit blackout is big in the news as I write this column. As you read it, you will probably know more than I know now, but for now, the disruption is starting to look significant, even though the company says it will all blow over in time.
A recap: Reddit, which is actually a company, although it has many features that make it seem more like a collection of community groups, announced that it would start charging for applications that access its API [1]. This news is significant because there are several companies that derive their revenue from apps that provide an interface with Reddit, and some of these vendors have declared that paying to access the Reddit API will drive them out of business. Apollo, makers of a Reddit client for Apple products, has already announced that the change will cost them $20 million per year.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)