Reddit Testing Out Follow-able User Profiles - Backlash from Beta users

[goodtofufriday]

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/modnews/comments/60i60u/tomorrow_well_be_launching_a_new_posttoprofile/

Source 2: http://gizmodo.com/reddit-is-now-a-social-network-for-exactly-three-people-1793482362

Quote

A very small number of redditors will be able to post directly to their own profile. The profile page will combine posts made to the profile (‘new”) and posts made to communities (“legacy”).

The profile page is redesigned to better showcase the redditor’s avatar, a short description and their posts. We’ll be sharing designs of this experience tomorrow.

Redditors will be able to follow these testers, at which point posts made to the tester’s profile page will start to appear on the follower’s front-page. These posts will appear following the same “hot” algorithms as everything else.

Redditors will be able to comment on the profile posts, but not create new posts on someone else’s profile.

 

We’re making this change because content creators tell us they have a hard time finding the right place to post their content. We also want to support them in being able to grow their own followers (similar to how communities can build subscribers). We’ve been working very closely with mods in a few communities to make sure the product will not negatively impact our existing communities. These mods have provided incredibly helpful feedback during the development process, and we are very grateful to them. They are the ones that helped us select the first batch of test users.

 

In a Nutshell User profiles will allow users to create what is essentially a Self moderated subreddit on their profile page. Users will be able to follow other users and their post.

So basically Facebook and Twitter.

 

However, the Reddit community as a whole (at least the BETA users) are not happy. Most are in agreement that reddit is preferred for them because of the distinct lack of such user profiles. Entering the comments section for these threads further defend this stance.

 

One current test page is that of https://www.reddit.com/user/leagueoflegends

And from https://www.reddit.com/user/kn0thing

 

Honeslty I think customization is fine. But having it basically be a twitter clone is NOT okay. We didn't join reddit so that we could follow specific users only.

[Arcanekitten]

This is a problematic issue of today's websites/apps. 

All the websites are cloning each other and it's annoying.

Whatsapp for instance trying to get the snapchat status thing going but ultimately failing.

 

Just keep it like it already is and everybody is happy, spend your resources right and don't copy each other. 

[imreloadin]

1 minute ago, Arcanekitten said:

This is a problematic issue of today's websites/apps. 

All the websites are cloning each other and it's annoying.

Whatsapp for instance trying to get the snapchat status thing going but ultimately failing.

 

Just keep it like it already is and everybody is happy, spend your resources right and don't copy each other. 

We all know that won't satisfy the suits in charge lol

[myselfolli]

8 minutes ago, Arcanekitten said:

This is a problematic issue of today's websites/apps. 

All the websites are cloning each other and it's annoying.

Whatsapp for instance trying to get the snapchat status thing going but ultimately failing.

 

Just keep it like it already is and everybody is happy, spend your resources right and don't copy each other. 

It's not failing though. Nobody likes the new WhatsApp status, but nevertheless the number of people signing up to Snapchat is declining (or growing noticeably less). Why? Because everybody and their grandma has WhatsApp and few people will install an app with a feature they already have.

[Arcanekitten]

Just now, myselfolli said:

It's not failing though. Nobody likes the new WhatsApp status, but nevertheless the number of people signing up to Snapchat is declining (or growing noticeably less). Why? Because everybody and their grandma has WhatsApp and few people will install an app with a feature they already have.

But everybody that wants the feature (Video status) already has snapchat and people don't install whatsapp for sharing your status (and removing the text based one) They install it for text messaging. and where did you find this, never seen it before. would like to know if this is indeed happening.

 

2 minutes ago, myselfolli said:

ning up to Snapchat is declining (or growing noticeably less).

 

[Colonel_Gerdauf]

I look at these sample profiles, and what I see is an odd hybrid between Facebook and Twitter.

[zMeul]

I think it should be kept but only as opt-in

[Taf the Ghost]

Well, considering it's Reddit, they'll find some way to make it horrible and break its functionality right when a few people find a use for it.

 

And somehow it'll be used to get Anti-Trump threads to the front page.  That's the point of Reddit these days, right?

[Guest Kloaked]

3 hours ago, Arcanekitten said:

This is a problematic issue of today's websites/apps. 

All the websites are cloning each other and it's annoying.

Whatsapp for instance trying to get the snapchat status thing going but ultimately failing.

 

Just keep it like it already is and everybody is happy, spend your resources right and don't copy each other. 

Right on. And because they're doing that, every social media outlet sucks, even the one being cloned.

[TidaLWaveZ]

It's too bad Aaron Swartz isn't still around to stop things like this from happening.

[silberdrachi]

Part of the problem with reddit (and i use it a decent amount) is that the small interesting subreddits suffer from visibility problems and that they cant get more members. This change would take some of the content that might end up on those smaller subs pages and hide it away on a persons profile that would make it harder to find and make navigating the site even harder than it is now. (Which ive had friends complain about when i asked them why they dont use it) The search functionality is just total ass even when you know the exact title of a post or sub its still hard to find, much less searching for vague terms or ideas.

 

TL;DR: Reddit as a whole needs to be made more navigable and easier to find content that you like (some sort of tag keyword system would be great) and not spreading the content into harder to find places on users profiles.