I guess I don't understand why Reddit didn't just make separate API usage rules & rates for a) apps and simple bots (tools built for humans to use) and b) content harvesters like AI companies (tools built for data analysis).
It's more complicated to administrate and manage, but this alienation of their most passionate users is just horrible business.
More and more it seems like businesses are less about making money, and more about building power.
Sure, money is one form of power so its not off the table. But bending other, 'lesser,' people to the will of the elites seems to be pretty common, like ending WFH and doing mass layoffs even when both are actually bad for productivity. What they lose monetarily, they make up for in enforcing structures of domination and control.
Jason Kottke
Spicewalla