Funniest/Most Insightful Comments Of The Week At Techdirt
This week, our first place winner on the insightful side is TFG responding to the suggestion that the Reddit protest will be quelled by simply removing the mods:
As the polls show: the mods aren't alone. The mods aren't the only ones posting the john oliver pics - there's no way that they could do that volume.
And those vote tallies? That's Reddit's Up and Downvotes, or whatever term they use for it, at work. The options to return to normal received down votes to go negative. That's the users themselves voting for this.
The CEO is taking actions that foment not just mod revolt, but user revolt. The very people who generate the content are against the company's new policy. Those same users will have zero respect for a new mod team - and when the majority of the userbase won't play ball with the mod team, the new mod team won't be able to hack it.
In second place, it's TKnarr expanding on Mike's list of seven rules for internet CEOs to avoid enshittification:
I think there's a Rule 0 here too:
Before you start, know how you intend to make enough money from your service to turn a profit.
You may have some way to go before you can start doing what you plan to do to turn a profit, but you should know what it'll be up front so that you don't do things that'll undercut it. If for instance you intend to make your money off of subscriptions to your service, don't start by making your service entirely free (and if you do offer part of it for free, plan on keeping that part free when you start charging subscriptions).
Plus, remember when it comes to Rule 1 that a company's first allegiance is not to the shareholders, it's to the corporate charter and that charter does not need to promise to maximize shareholder profits above everything else. When an activist" shareholder sues to try to force you to do things to increase the stock price at the expense of the company's continued survival, the best defense is to be able to point to the corporate charter and say Plaintiff knew what our priorities were, we laid them out clearly. If they didn't agree with those priorities, why did they buy stock in our company?".
For editor's choice on the insightful side, we start out with an anonymous comment about Canada's link tax law and Meta's withdrawal of news sharing from the country, responding to the government's insistence that it will not negotiate under threat":
They said, while threatening Meta with the authority of the state.
Next, it's another anonymous comment about Texas's law regulating websites that publish or distribute material harmful to minors":
I would be willing to bet that this would be immediately expanded to include any website that is LGBTQ+ related since this is also harmful to minors in the eyes of Repubs.
Also, how long for someone to bring suit against religious websites as I am sure studies could be found to show that religion is harmful to minors".
Over on the funny side, our first place winner is Ninja with another comment about the Reddit protests:
I'm so hoping John Oliver does one of his episodes about this. Dressed in a pirate costume. Looking sexy.
In second place, it's an anonymous comment about Steve Huffman's this will pass" attitude:
It's not passing despite his pushing. Constipation sucks, huh
For editor's choice on the funny side, we start out with an anonymous comment about what the future holds for Reddit if its mods leave:
I'm sure spez will find plenty of people willing to moderate to his requirements while not being paid at all.
Those who do volunteer will moderate using a tool that does not work well.
1) not enough mods
2) mod tool ineffective
3) ???
4) profit!!!!
Finally, it's That Anonymous Coward with a comment about the lawyers who used ChatGPT:
I hope they appeal and hire DoNotPay.
That's all for this week, folks!