RedStrider , 2 months ago

if you replace the www.reddit part of the link with farside.link/libreddit it will send you to a random frontend instance.

this means no ads, no js, no trackers, and probably none of this.

to do this you'll need a browser extension. try this one:
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/redirector/
(couldn't find this one for chrome but you can choose another)

if you used the extension i gave you you can import below as a plaintext in the settings.

redirect.txt

{
    "redirects": [
        {
            "description": "",
            "exampleUrl": "https://www.reddit.com/r/example",
            "exampleResult": "https://farside.link/libreddit/r/example",
            "error": null,
            "includePattern": "https://www.reddit.com*",
            "excludePattern": "",
            "patternDesc": "",
            "redirectUrl": "https://farside.link/libreddit$1",
            "patternType": "W",
            "processMatches": "noProcessing",
            "disabled": false,
            "grouped": false,
            "appliesTo": [
                "main_frame",
                "sub_frame"
            ]
        },
        {
            "description": "",
            "exampleUrl": "https://old.reddit.com/r/example",
            "exampleResult": "https://farside.link/libreddit/r/example",
            "error": null,
            "includePattern": "https://old.reddit.com*",
            "excludePattern": "",
            "patternDesc": "",
            "redirectUrl": "https://farside.link/libreddit$1",
            "patternType": "W",
            "processMatches": "noProcessing",
            "disabled": false,
            "grouped": false,
            "appliesTo": [
                "main_frame",
                "sub_frame"
            ]
        }
    ]
}

Crack0n7uesday , 2 months ago

Half the mods in the big communities work for ad agencies. Fact....

myusernameis , 2 months ago

Anyone remember when a certain oat milk brand paid to promote a megathread about their new ad campaign, with comments open, and just got savaged by Reddit? The funny thing is that generally people seem to like the product, but hated the smug marketing so much it turned real bad, real fast.

I wonder how they're doing:

The stock has fallen 42% in the last 12 months, while the S&P 500 SPX has gained 23%.

Ha.

50_centavos , 2 months ago

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/53906b89-8c64-447e-832a-d6549fc730c1.jpeg

More of their bullshitery. I had the audacity to use my browser to click a reddit link.

archomrade , 2 months ago

Been that way since the api exodus

spiderplant , 2 months ago

Old.reddit still works

ahornsirup , 2 months ago

uBO can bypass it too, if you don't want to have to deal with old.reddit on mobile.

FlihpFlorp , 2 months ago

Just curious, because typing Reddit in at the end of searches magically makes the exact niche result you need appear, how do you open a post in old Reddit?

PeroBasta , 2 months ago

There are FF addons that can do that for you. Otherwise you have to manually change the www into old.

FlihpFlorp , 2 months ago

Oh really that easy

Someone else mentioned front ends to limit tracking and stuff so imma check that out too

Quill7513 , 2 months ago

I'd be more likely to recommend you install a plugin like libredirect and use an alternative frontend to Reddit like libreddit. Get visibility into posts, spread your load across three alternative front end instances to avoid rate limiting, starve reddit of the tracking data they're trying to direct people to their preferred front end for

FlihpFlorp , 2 months ago

Other than libreddit got any recommendations for the other two?

Quill7513 , 2 months ago

I just pick the fastest three working libreddit instances once pinged by libredirect

T156 , 2 months ago

As does putting .i on the end, to use the compact interface.

The links are a bit spotty nowadays, and some of the newer features don't work quite right, but it otherwise works a treat for most things.

Edgarallenpwn , 2 months ago

and some of the newer features don't work quite right

That's the true feature

PM_Your_Nudes_Please , 2 months ago

Yup, they’re forcing people towards the app because it allows them to collect telemetry data. Your browser walls them off so they can’t data mine your device, but the app gives them full control. It’s why so many services and companies have switched to apps instead of mobile sites; An app allows them to collect and sell your data.

laxe , 2 months ago

Gotta juice up those numbers before IPO so executives can sell their stock and leave others to hold the bag

Krauerking , 2 months ago

You know what's wild?

I have seen them replace the top comment on a post with an ad.
Literally still have all the responses to it that are now completely out of place, but treating it like it's naturally in there. And also it means the top comment (which might have been a bot anyways) has just been taken over by reddit and used to sell ad space.

xantoxis , 2 months ago

That is wild. Are you sure it's not the author of that comment editing their post to become an ad? Screenshot?

anarchy79 , 2 months ago

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Cataphract , 2 months ago

My partner still visits reddit on mobile (the communities they want just are not here and they don't like to post), I know when showing me something we've clicked on a post to have to scroll past a "Presented" comment (ad), the communities stickied bot comment, then we finally get to the first real comment only for it to be some highly upvoted joke comment. Sprinkle in bots and native ad's, I seriously don't understand still putting up with it. It's like saying a shopping complex is still a social hot spot like a mall was back in the day.

Krauerking , 2 months ago

No I think it's some kinda of fucked up bug from them trying to have the first auto scroll spot be the presented as and it taking over the space of the top comment. Like this.
https://lemy.lol/pictrs/image/60d3da88-5865-49c4-93dc-dcaafae39eff.jpeg

DingoBilly , 2 months ago

This has been the case for ages so it's not anything new.

Diplomjodler , 2 months ago

The former mod of /r/jailbait has everything under control. The IPO is going to be a huge success, no doubt about it.

NineMileTower , 2 months ago

Of all the dumb shit he does, being a mod of r/jailbait is so stupid to bring up. At that time you could make anyone a mod of a subreddit.

Sonicdemon86 , 2 months ago

And yet he stayed as a mod until they were forced to shut that subreddit down. He could have left at any time, yet he didn't. So how is it stupid to bring it up?

Gabu , 2 months ago

The guy actually posted to that sub...

NineMileTower , 2 months ago

If you are correct, that’s beyond fucked up and I’m very wrong.

philpo , 2 months ago

Another reason I really look forward for them being sued in Europe - This is a highly illegal practice in the EU and has already brought sizeable penalties for various other media outlets, both conventional and online.

And weeks ago the Dutch and German consumer protection agencies as well as the GDPR ombudsman already commented that they are looking into Reddit (Reddit has it's European office in Amsterdam).

That will be fun.

Zolidus , 2 months ago

Never Interfere With an Enemy While He’s in the Process of Destroying Himself

• Napoleon Dynamite, inventor of ice cream

FiskFisk33 , 2 months ago

"Never interrupt your opponent while he is in the middle of making a mistake."

-Sun Tzu

CileTheSane , 2 months ago

"Troops like to be fed."

-Sun Tzu

x4740N , 2 months ago

I wonder if an email to european consumer protection would help speed things along

anarchy79 , 2 months ago

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anarchy79 , 2 months ago

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Ghostalmedia , 2 months ago

Here is what one of these ads looks like:

https://www.reddit.com/u/PhillyCanada/s/O52X2oGf5V

It does not appear to be labeled as an ad on the Reddit mobile app.

driving_crooner , 2 months ago

This is how it's looks. No notification anywhere that is an ad post.

https://lemmy.eco.br/pictrs/image/322c2edc-61af-4d1e-b152-0c6c86ab8a05.webp

mp3 , 2 months ago

🤢

DrCake , 2 months ago

Jesus Christ, 1.5k upvotes on an ad. I know it didn’t say it explicitly but it does read very much like an ad

BottleOfAlkahest , 2 months ago

What are the chances the upvotes are fake though?

huginn , 2 months ago

100% chance

Reddit would not let actual sentiment be shown, which is part of why the comments are locked (archived). If you're an advertiser they'll bend over backwards to please you. Guaranteed.

5 years ago people were down voting ads to oblivion. Now? They've got controls for that.

Krauerking , 2 months ago

Oh man I miss when down voting an ad actually worked. That was such a funny movement for a second before they fixed that.
But yeah all those up ones are definitely fake and just a way to make it feel more real. The Jesus ads still don't show any up otes since they aren't paying for that feature I guess.

50_centavos , 2 months ago

Pretty sure the votes don't work on the ads. Why would they, every ad would get down voted into oblivion and not show up on people's feeds. It reminds me of the fake comments on Facebook ads. "Pre-ordered my shwami blankets, can't wait!"

Sibbo , 2 months ago

Yeah this is really scary. Maybe the golden thing on the top right is supposed to be the marking? But this is clearly not clearly marked. Should be easy to sack in a court.

This may be on purpose though. They communicate to their future shareholders that they will do everything - legal and illegal - to make profit and pay dividends.

redcalcium , 2 months ago

I think that's the icon for archived posts, not ads marking.

InquisitiveApathy , 2 months ago

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but this referenced ad post is over a year old. There's been "organic" guerilla marketing by advertisers on Reddit for almost a decade now. How is this relevant to the recent changes?

Ghostalmedia , 2 months ago

The context is in the article posted. This was one of the early experiments for the new ad platform. Looks like they did some simple test by coordinating things manually, then once they validated the concept, they spent the year building out a platform and interface for advertisers.

InquisitiveApathy , 2 months ago

Ahhh I had a bit of a, didn't read the article, moment and that was the missing context for me. I appreciate you clarifying!

sigmaklimgrindset , 2 months ago

Why are there so many comments in the thread going "Omg great ad/marketing idea!!", that's so weird...

Ghostalmedia , 2 months ago

I wonder if a lot of that is astroturfing.

_number8_ , 2 months ago

even lemmy has astroturfing. i guarantee reddit's push to tighten API usage etc was partially to ensure only paid / approved astroturfing was possible

sigmaklimgrindset , 2 months ago

Lemmy has astroturfing? Where??? The Linux bros? They just seem like they REALLY love Linux (and good for them, everyone needs hobbies).

ChunkMcHorkle , 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago)

https://www.reddit.com/u/PhillyCanada/s/O52X2oGf5V

It's gone now, on www. and old. via browser. "Page not found" with a pic of that snoo crying under a hot sun because he bought the pre-IPO shares, lol.

squid_slime , 2 months ago

Wtf is up with the comments... They're all congratulating the marketing to for a good campaign? Saying they're buying the shit.

MisterFrog , 2 months ago

100% Reddit astroturfing. It's so unnatural

superduperenigma , 2 months ago

Haven't they had ads disguised as posts for years now?

takeda , 2 months ago

I dunno, uBlock never showed any.

fuck spez, fuck Reddit

stebo02 , 2 months ago

I remember them showing up in the mobile apps, before I discovered third party apps.

anarchy79 , 2 months ago

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originalucifer , 2 months ago

yep, my thought too. it was one of the big red flags for me awhile back

db2 , 2 months ago

Steve doesn't care as long as he can extract money before the repercussions hit. That's why he didn't care about alienating so many people that volunteered their time and energy, he's counting on their being enough momentum to get through the IPO so he can steal take the money he thinks he's entitled to.. he doesn't give a single shit what happens after because he won't be there and will just blame everyone else.

catloaf , 2 months ago

Sort of. At least on old reddit, sponsored posts were in a light blue box. Now it sounds like they have a little gray "sponsored" somewhere on it.

jeze OP , 2 months ago

They're clearly marked as such kind of like promoted tweets.

anarchy79 , 2 months ago

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anarchy79 , 2 months ago

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SteefLem , 2 months ago

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/2c6cc9be-c711-49c9-9095-0f583963354f.jpeg

Also all the things they (reddit) claim in this article i call BS. Specially so close to the ipo.

redditReallySucks , 2 months ago

I thought this was illegal in most countries

Ghostalmedia , 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago)

Which is why they’re now under investigation from the FTC.

edit: FTC not FCC
edit 2: looks like they're being investigated about AI, not ads.

ZeroCool , 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago)

Which is why they’re now under investigation from the FCC.

Ummm, no, they aren’t. They’re under investigation by the FTC for their deal that allows Google to train AI on user content. The FCC is not conducting the inquiry and it has nothing to do with these ads.

It’s really annoying that people can just make things up and it gets upvoted because nobody actually reads the damn articles.

ZeroCool , 2 months ago (edited 2 months ago)

[Thread, post or comment was deleted by the author]

grannybacon , 2 months ago

^ certified hater