An Exciting New Rule Change
To our Esteemed Subscribers:As you may be aware, /r/Pics is the fifth-largest subReddit in existence, with a subscriber count of approximately 16,000,000. We are also the second-largest media-centric community – surpassed only by /r/Funny – meaning that our activity represents a very large portion of the site's data usage. In fact, as of this writing, 29% of Reddit's total bandwidth is used by /r/Pics, with nearly four fifths of all users visiting on a mobile device at least once a week.These numbers are encouraging, but also concerning. At our current rate of growth (which is an average of 16,000 new subscribers per day), /r/Pics will eventually use data that should be allocated to other, smaller subReddits. In an effort to offset this, we have been exploring possible options for mitigating any adverse effects. Several solutions have been presented and considered, and we believe we have found one which will benefit everyone.This infographic offers an in-depth explanation.In short: As of today, /r/Pics will only accept submissions that are 400x300 pixels or smaller.This will result in a very slight drop in quality for desktop users. However, subscribers who access the subReddit via mobile devices will experience a pronounced and immediate decrease in load times, along with an equally fast increase in overall enjoyment. (Once again, this effect has been outlined and quantified by the above infographic.)We are very excited to roll out this new initiative, and we look forward to your positive reaction.Sincerely,The /r/Pics Moderation Team
via /r/pics