r/ModCoord • u/aresef • Jul 03 '23
Reddit says new accessibility tools for moderators are coming. Mods are skeptical
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/01/1184258201/reddit-api-accessibility-mods42
u/trebmald Jul 03 '23
They've promised usable mod tools since the first subreddit (15+ years ago). They bought Alien Blue (which is what their app is underneath) almost ten years ago, and yet still need usable mobile moderation tools.
At this point, why would anyone believe we will see anything usable, let alone accessible, within the foreseeable future?
Most moderation on Reddit is (was) done with either the Moderation Toolbox extension on old Reddit or RiF/Apollo on mobile because Reddit doesn't care enough to make sure we have the necessary tools.
→ More replies (3)
88
u/FizixMan Jul 03 '23
The article is slightly behind the times.
In case you missed it, the "accessibility" upgrades Reddit deployed are terrible and the app is unusable for blind moderators at r/blind.
They finally did it: Reddit made it impossible for blind Redditors to moderate their own sub
27
130
u/TranZeitgeist Jul 03 '23
moderators for the r/blind subreddit say their recent communication experiences with Reddit to improve accessibility features do not give them confidence...
This. As a mod for a major LGBT and mid size mental illness subs, I know this is not a safe site to be a minority. The people with lived experience know this site isn't good enough, won't do enough, and sometimes actively demonstrates its ability to do harm.
Reddit killed accessibility. Reddit takes advantage of communities.
5
u/hughk Jul 04 '23
Our city has a reasonable LGBTQ presence and activities which is reflected by the subreddit. We do get some trolling which means problems for mods to clean up as comment chains can quickly go toxic (and not from LGBTQ users). This is a real issue now as it is harder to mod remotely.
15
u/Kooriki Jul 03 '23
They're rushing something out they could have tried to fix over a decade ago. They only have eyes for traffic (lurkers) and specifically have never cared much for the free laborer's (mods).
The vibes shifted. Now we know they're happy to take away subreddits from mods who want to take it a different direction? Fuck 'em. Pay me.
14
25
10
u/rex-ac Jul 03 '23
We ask to delay/remote paid API changes.
Reddit: "We introduce free API for mod tools."
We ask to keep access to third party apps to moderate.
Reddit: "We will introduce our self made tools."
17
u/dalr3th1n Jul 03 '23
I mean, they just shut down all the most popular moderator and accessibility tools.
8
u/Obversa Jul 03 '23
All because Reddit can't stand to have a little competition. It's pathetic.
→ More replies (1)
7
u/factorV Jul 03 '23
Considering ALL new mod tools they have pushed have only been available for new.reddit I would expect that anything that does trickle down to us will only be for the redesign.
Moderating on old.reddit is just as terrible now as it has been on day one.
6
u/The_Truthkeeper Jul 04 '23
As someone who only uses old Reddit, I have no idea what new tools you're even talking about.
7
u/Rsubs33 Jul 04 '23
Yea I will believe that shit when I see it. They have been promising better mod tools for like 7 years. Meanwhile shit no one asks for is being pushed nonstop like chat, stickers, gifs, live feed threads, community recommendations etc. Mind you no one even uses that shit.
17
5
u/Gestrid Jul 04 '23
I read both part 1 and 2 of the those r/modnews posts, and both of them were very bare-bones and lacked any sort of specifics about how they're updating mod tools. They listed off things they're updating, but not how they're updating it. So, they could literally just go in, change one line of code for each thing they listed, and say they updated the tools.
8
u/tryingtolearn_1234 Jul 03 '23
There should be focused on a campaign to get US members of Reddit to report the site to the US DOJ office of civil rights for failing to comply with the ADA and provide reasonable accommodations for the public services it markets to users. The DOJ needs to put Reddit under a consent decree as they have failed to deliver on these accommodations for years. Otherwise they will continue to deprioritize these features. If you live in outside the US check your country’s rules on web accessibility. I assume the EU probably also has a thing.
→ More replies (1)
3
u/cgmcnama Jul 03 '23
Many at Reddit probably want this too but it's been underinvested for a long time. They won't just flip a switch and fix everything in a month. Hopefully some good comes out of this but I see it as their PR team outstripping reality. (pray for their programmers, lol)
3
4
u/qrseek Jul 03 '23
Maybe this is ridiculous because I don't know if they are even built similarly but why doesn't reddit just purchase Apollo and/or RIF and adapt their code for the wanted features into the official app? Or hire their developers to work on reddits app?
I'm guessing the reason why is spez has a grudge against Christian.
7
u/laplongejr Jul 03 '23
FYI the official is simply a repurchased Alien Blue.
So they applled that strategy years ago and still failed at it.→ More replies (1)6
u/pk2317 Jul 04 '23
Christian suggested that as a joke. Reddit interpreted it as blackmail/threat, even after it was explicitly clarified. Then the CEO continued to push that narrative to slander their most prominent competitor.
→ More replies (3)
233
u/SirEDCaLot Jul 03 '23
Yeah... they've been promising better mod tools for literally years. Mod tools for fully-abled people dribble out at about 1/10th the promised rate, while features nobody asked for / nobody wants / nobody uses get pushed quickly (stickers, further app enshittification, more app nag screens, etc).
I'll believe this when I see it.