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Comment by mrmondo | Hacker News Reader

IMO it has nothing on Alien Blue and they've now pulled Alien Blue from the app store, it's quite sad really.

It feels like going from a well designed, highly configurable application that really took UX into account to an app that feels like a web frame and wants you to use the website instead.

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The likely reason that they've pulled Alien Blue is because they're monetizing the new app with large obnoxious ads inserted into the timeline that look like stories (though, in fairness, are clearly marked sponsored).

If monetizing the mobile client becomes a main source of revenue for them you can expect them to pull a move like Twitter did and disable every 3rd party client to force you to use theirs.

AB already has story-like ads

Whoah, they pulled alien blue?? Never going to delete that app.

Word.

Not trying to be a downer, but if I were to lose Alien Blue before the 'official' app is up to par, I'd just be browsing and interacting with reddit far less.

The new app is that bad in comparison.

These days, interacting less with reddit can only be a good thing.

I think there is a lesson here about company/app development. Alien Blue did NOT look it does today when it first launched. That app was a few years of feedback and iteration. There is no way that Reddit could nail it on the first version. I'm not trying to give them a pass but I don't see a way for them to have succeed using the replacement strategy.

They're able to take those lessons and apply them to the new reddit app though.

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