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> My guess Reddit also noticed most people using Apollo doesn’t create content, so Apollo users are just extracting value from Reddit.

You don't have to create content to create value. You can also promote the platform and grow loyalty, something possible with Apollo.

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That sounds a lot like the usual piracy advocate excuse "they're not losing any money through piracy, it gives them free exposure".

Reddit encouraged third party clients for a long time, and made no effort to monetize them. The piracy analogy is completely inappropriate.

Reddit could still encourage third party clients and also monetize them in a reasonable way, but they have chosen to be unreasonable and will almost certainly kill the market for those apps.

A simple reasonable way is that you have to pay a subscription to Reddit to use a third party app. The app maker would then just have to charge enough to make a profit for their time spent creating and supporting the app.

Business owners say that to freelancers. Pirates don't say that.

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