I think they might cave. Think of it like a negotiation.
John: Hey, we make zero from third party reddit apps, we should charge them
Fred: Well, they produce a lot of content, which is what keeps people on the site
John: Hmm, we should charge them anyway. Keep the shareholders happy. $1,000 per 50 million requests.
Fred: But won’t there be a big uproar?
John: Well, that will happen regardless of what we charge. If we think we can get away with charging $1000 per 50 million requests, let’s announce $12,000 per 50 million. Then we can walk back to $1,000 and everyone will think we’re being reasonable. If we started at $1,000 we’d probably have to walk it back to $100, and that’s a waste of time.
I think they might cave. Think of it like a negotiation.
John: Hey, we make zero from third party reddit apps, we should charge them
Fred: Well, they produce a lot of content, which is what keeps people on the site
John: Hmm, we should charge them anyway. Keep the shareholders happy. $1,000 per 50 million requests.
Fred: But won’t there be a big uproar?
John: Well, that will happen regardless of what we charge. If we think we can get away with charging $1000 per 50 million requests, let’s announce $12,000 per 50 million. Then we can walk back to $1,000 and everyone will think we’re being reasonable. If we started at $1,000 we’d probably have to walk it back to $100, and that’s a waste of time.
Fred: You’re brilliant, lock it in!
Yeah, that would be the “best case” scenario, but honestly I believe they are too daft too make a “good” compromise.