Popular messaging app Discord is reportedly set to launch in-app ads to help promote game developers, and its coming soon.
In early March 2024, Discord revealed that “sponsored quests”, or ads would be added to the platform to help “support game developers” through the popular chat app.
Discord didn’t initially share a release date, or even how they’re going to implement ads into Discord’s overall design, other than mentioning that the sponsored quests would “tastefully” be integrated.
A report from The Wall Street Journal claims that Discord’s sponsored quests will be landing on the platform this week, and will be displayed at the bottom left of the app.
For app developers discussing their app? Use GitHub. Or traditional forum software. Or even create a subreddit/Lemmy community.
Discord is great for informal chats about various topics. Anything that might have value being searchable and discoverable weeks or months later should be somewhere on the public web.
In addition, they're forcing binding arbitration on anybody who doesn't opt out.
To opt out, you need to send an email within 30 days of the day they go into effect. They go into effect on April 15th so you have until May 15th to opt out.
That means if you have a reason to sue Discord, you're forbidden from doing it. Instead you're required to use an arbitrator. Whatever they decide is official. But, don't worry, even though Discord pays for the arbitrator and relies on them for repeat business, the arbitrator is definitely neutral.
While I’m generally against in-app ads, I think it’s interesting to note how many people in the comments likely did not read the actual article linked. It seems that every user can entirely opt-out of seeing the ads. While they are ads, they aren’t really so in the traditional sense: you stream a developer’s game to other users on Discord and you can get gifts in Discord. Not so bad I don’t think, though I don’t use the gifts much at all, and it’ll probably be for the types of games I don’t play.
Well, I guess it's about time I finally start moving off Discord. I always said I would wait until they did something absolutely shitty knowing it would come at some point.
Revolt.chat is a matrix client that has the same look and feel as discord, that's what I'm looking into EDIT: Nevermind, it does NOT support matrix or federation.... so that's out :(