Right now it seem like most of the front page of r/all is advertising

96  2015-10-18 by xdyev

Maybe I just view the world with a jaundiced eye, but at the moment the front page of reddit looks like list of product promotion.

Two threads featuring Sponge Bob, two for Star Wars, one for Google fiber, One for Fox news/NFL, a Pepsi ad, an ad for Franks hot sauce, a little further down a Sprite commercial.

WTF reddit?

19 comments

13  plato_thyself 2015-10-18

Reddit was founded by University of Virginia roommates Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian in 2005. Condé Nast Publications acquired the site in October 2006. Reddit became a direct subsidiary of Condé Nast's parent company, Advance Publications, in September 2011. As of August 2012, Reddit operates as an independent entity, although Advance is still its largest shareholder.

Reddit is based in San Francisco, California. In October 2014 Reddit raised $50 million in a funding round led by Sam Altman and including investors Marc Andreessen, Peter Thiel, Ron Conway, Snoop Dogg and Jared Leto. Their investment saw the company valued at $500 million.

Web companies make money by monetizing eyeballs (marketing) and advertising.

9  xdyev 2015-10-18

Yeah but it still pisses me off that there is so much of it, and the dishonesty that somehow a perfect Spongebob pancake animation that looks straight out of an advertising studio, charades as 'mildly interesting'.

It's the inherently dishonest pimping of products/sponsors disguised as content that's most offensive. I hate pimps. And cheaters and liars.

10  Putin_loves_cats 2015-10-18

The more sinister thing about reddit, is they deploy "guerrilla marketing". You know what ads are on other sites, they are like "sponsored content" or "advertisement". On reddit however, they use deceit. So, truly you do not know if you are looking at something "mildly interesting" or a paid ad placement. That's what pisses me off about reddit. Because, this is not only used for ads, but also disinfo/misinfo and shilling. Reddit, tis' a silly place.

5  [deleted] 2015-10-18

[deleted]

0  Putin_loves_cats 2015-10-18

Meh, I don't see it as a viable alternative.

4  plato_thyself 2015-10-18

They're calling this "native advertising" now.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Native_advertising

4  xdyev 2015-10-18

P.S. This thread is being hard hit with downvotes.

I don't really care, but the manipulation of what redditors see (or don't) is clearly being orchestrated.

1  Baldr209 2015-10-18

not disclosing that they're adds is illegal.

1  salEducation 2015-10-18

Isn't so hard to believe that people find a well done SpongeBob pancake interesting?

-1  Redditor9876543210 2015-10-18

As much as we hate ads, the ads are responsible for making the Internet free. Without ads, you would have to pay for a lot of the information content on the Internet, instead of getting it for free

3  mbeasy 2015-10-18

Bullshit

4  Romek_himself 2015-10-18

its everywhere on reddit

just look at /movies

full of hollywood blockbuster advertising spam ... today like 6+ star wars threads

2  peterson2004 2015-10-18

Star wars is hitting all the subs, even aviation. Cringe worthy.

2  Romek_himself 2015-10-18

they pay a lot for promotion

3  K-Vox 2015-10-18

If a service is free, you are the product.

It holds true for everything.

2  CelineHagbard 2015-10-18

If the service is free, and I use u-block/don't visit r/all, does that make me a faulty product?

1  K-Vox 2015-10-18

It makes you a product with a brain?

2  BoiledAngel 2015-10-18

Wow! This morning i commented about the frontpage hiding a nike ad and a hulu ad, disguised as articles. Its very obvious that it is subliminal advertising, well maybe not obvious to all. After my comments i looked again and that about that Spongebob and more could be ads also. Good Grief

2  BuzzFeedIsTheWorst 2015-10-18

CHECK OUT THIS AWESOME SNICKERS/SPRITE AD!!!

No, thanks.

0  bran_dong 2015-10-18

jaundiced eye? don't you mean jaded or something? find a doctor and test your billirubens

-2  negative_commentary 2015-10-18

What you're doing right now is advertising.

Also Reddit places sponsored posts.

This has been known for some time.