Damn, I add "reddit" to my searches specifically to avoid seeing content created or paid for by those businesses and to read some more or less independent opinions from actual people who don't want to sell me anything ;-;
What a line. Reddit is well known of its position, and I am often one of those 100. Will this cease to be if they push further monetisation? Probably, if a good enough competitor, with good enough of a culture can stand up. Until then, not one other social network can replicate this effect.
Reddit killed forums, perhaps forums could kill Reddit now?
Hardly; forums are in agony and people tend to flee to discord servers in search for quick support or discussions. Forums nowadays are terrible because of interfaces used, content which seem really poor and hostile attitude towards people. That last thing seems to be really prominent when it comes to moderation: there are people who shouldn't be given such task in the first place who unload their personal issues onto strangers. Recently I had a chance to see a thread where mod raises a toddler tantrum because of how post was written - it was just... embarrassing.
As for reddit: I wonder how much further this site has to be turned into a sanitized corporate product before users will seriously consider abandoning it. Or perhaps this is some weird attachment issue and they're unable to do that.
Lemmy was supposed to be a fediverse alternative but it doesn't seem to be that much popular at all. There are tildes but I read opinions saying it's an echo chamber and marketing probing grounds. Tho same could be said about reddit too.
I agree that Discord is a terrible gated community that is horrible for searchability. But there has to be something about these platforms why the people prefer them.
Gated communities are a necessary evil in a world where you share a common medium with your enemies. Unluckily I tend to find out about some only as they close down (like what.cd).
And regarding Discord: Nothing is hidden from the platform owners. When the line doesn't go up as desired, the tides may turn yet again.