They've always moderated for free. They just don't want to be repeatedly slapped in the face while doing so.

I do expect mods to moderate for free, because being unpaid also means that they're independent. That's an infinitely better situation than having anonymous paid mods who are accountable to a single corporation.

The problem is that reddit wants to have it both ways: they want to control the mods and treat them as subservient employees, yet at the same time still reap the benefits of their free work as they fuck them over by taking away the tools that make their job easier.

Let's not turn on other users when Reddit is the actual problem. Show them that there's something better being built over here.

Tbh I'd have no problem to support my favourite communities on Patreon, if that option existed.