cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/37402366
This is the main reason I completely ditched Reddit, if you use the new Reddit interface instead of the old one (old.reddit.com), you’ll see a constant request being made to “https://www.reddit.com/svc/shreddit/events” (open your DevTools > Network tab, can’t see on Firefox idk why).
The problem is, if you add this to your Ublock Origin filters the website won’t load properly, that’s why uBO team didn’t block it already.
You’ll notice this request isn’t only being made from a interval but also when you do basically any action in the site, like pausing or resuming a video (send timestamps of when did you pause or resumed).
It sends other kind of data like what subjects you’re seeing when closed a tab or the related subjects of a post you click, this all can be used to trace a perfect profile of you and things you like.
You can avoid that using the old.reddit but it still has the same kind of tracker, even tho you can block it here without major issues.
By my analysis, old Reddit interface does the same but to a random URL path that always starts with “reddit.com/api/something”. Ex.: reddit.com/api/friends So you can block anything that starts with “www.reddit.com/api” in your custom filters (after all you’re using old.reddit.com), then you’re mostly free from Reddit trackers (more or less). Side effect is, you won’t be able to use the chat in the old interface.
that content comes from niches that the people of fediverse try to avoid.
so, the fediverse wants to avoid all hobbies?
most of the fediverse is dedicated to mainstream “general interest” sharing and hobbyism requires a passion that usually doesn’t align with the mainstream.
the people who engage in hobbies share it fellow enthusiasts and they seek out niche places where it can be shared and, currently, the dominant niche interests on the fediverse are either technology, privacy, identity or politics. the mainstream doesn’t like any (especially the latter) so most ignore it at best or block it at worst and then complain that there’s no niche content.