I'm glad threelonmusketeers made this alternative. I also don't give a shit about third party apps because I don't use them. So to me it's a bunch of idiots who have no idea how a company operates throwing a temper tantrum because 'muh app' and ruining something for everyone else.
The blackout does quite literally zero harm to Reddit. None. It accomplishes less than nothing, and in fact makes their lives easier with less users taking up server space.
And? Reddit doesn't give a shit about that. The blackout does nothing to shareholders. Giving away API for free does. They're going to address one of those issues and it isn't going to be apologizing or conceding to whiners who can't conceive of a life without a weird special app for Reddit.