Ellen Pao Is Stepping Down as Reddit

[timster]

Ellen Pao, the interim chief executive of Reddit, resigned from the online message board on Friday after a week of ceaseless criticism from scores of angry users over the handling of an employee departure.

 

Ms. Pao will be replaced by Steve Huffman, who, along with Alexis Ohanian, started Reddit from a two-bedroom apartment in a suburb of Boston a decade ago. Ms. Pao said she would remain as an adviser to Reddit

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I must say that I feel a bit sorry for her in this situation. I know nothing about the situation, and so for me it seems like someone got rid of a member of staff that people appreciated and the vote was cast to put Pao in the position. She didn't have a chance to try anything, the community just outright shunned her.

One could argue that her past is a reason to be wary, but no one seemed to give her a chance from what I saw.

Then again I don't use Reddit, so none of this affects me as far as I know.

[FiB3R]

Not quite right, Nick.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

Not quite right, Nick.

I have no doubt. Again, I don't use Reddit so for me the whole situation is somewhat moot. But I would appreciate someone giving me a rundown on the situation?

[FiB3R]

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/3bxduw/why_was_riama_along_with_a_number_of_other_large/

 

^ Best overview I could find

 

 

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/3bw39q/why_has_riama_been_set_to_private/csq204d

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/wiki/index/retired_questions#wiki_who_is_ellen_pao.2C_and__what.27s_with_the_controversy_around_her.3F

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/search?q=ellen+pao&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all

 

https://np.reddit.com/r/self/comments/3cudi0/resignation_thank_you/

[remixedcat]

She's hated becuase she only cares about money and she's a scam artist. 

 

She wanted reddit watered down and censored to make more money. She's soul-less and heartless. 

[FiB3R]

She's hated becuase she only cares about money and she's a scam artist. 

 

She wanted reddit watered down and censored to make more money. She's soul-less and heartless. 

 

This is possibly the new best overview I could find

[nub]

Still don't understand what happened here. She deleted a hateful subreddit so people sent her death threats?

[Nick H. Supervisor]

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/3bxduw/why_was_riama_along_with_a_number_of_other_large/

 

 

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/comments/3bw39q/why_has_riama_been_set_to_private/csq204d

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/wiki/index/retired_questions#wiki_who_is_ellen_pao.2C_and__what.27s_with_the_controversy_around_her.3F

 

https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/search?q=ellen+pao&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all

 

https://np.reddit.com/r/self/comments/3cudi0/resignation_thank_you/

All these links do for me is confirm what I've already said. She has some external issues going on that have little to do with the position in Reddit. She wasn't given a chance to prove herself as a worthy replacement for AMA, the community just turned around and said, "ah, because she has done this and that before, she won't compare to, and be able to do the same work that the previous person did.

I'm someone that can generally separate my issues. If I've had a lousy day at work (or in Pao's position, if I'm filing a lawsuit) I would try my hardest to not let that affect the decisions I make here on Neowin.

Pao's problem is that it became public knowledge about what she was up to outside of Reddit. But I'm not sure how her actions away from Reddit have given the community a right to straight away turn around and say, "she won't be any good." No one gave her a chance to see if she could provide the same level of service that her predecessor gave.

Maybe I've got this completely inside out though.

[HawkMan]

This is possibly the new best overview I could find

 

Of course it's also completely out of contact with reality, but..

[FiB3R]

All these links do for me is confirm what I've already said. She has some external issues going on that have little to do with the position in Reddit. She wasn't given a chance to prove herself as a worthy replacement for AMA, the community just turned around and said, "ah, because she has done this and that before, she won't compare to, and be able to do the same work that the previous person did.

She wasn't replacing anybody at this time.

Somebody important/useful to the community was removed without warning.

As the CEO, she took the flack.

subreddits started going privet in response.

Her previous actions in cleaning up reddit had already made her unpopular.

This other stuff... https://www.reddit.com/r/OutOfTheLoop/wiki/index/retired_questions#wiki_who_is_ellen_pao.2C_and__what.27s_with_the_controversy_around_her.3F

I think that sums up what has happened in the last few days.

[HawkMan]

Still don't understand what happened here. She deleted a hateful subreddit so people sent her death threats?

 

Not even that, she banned a few reddits that ACTIVELY participated in creating and sending threats. Then she was blamed for the firing of Victoria, which I'm pretty sure has a lot more reasons behind it than what's come out since she was popular and did a good job, not someone you fire out of the blue. 

 

The reddit community can be full of idiots who follow the moronic leader at times. 

[Kierax2016]

I feel she is being scapegoated for actions of others, the community is knee jerked steered into a idea, allowed to run rampant with the idea.  And in the end the changes desired will be left in place ( censorship, commercialism of the AMA's & site ) but the community feels satisfied by removing the evil ceo. 

 

I wish the best for her, she never really got the chance to say her own piece.

[gohpep]

Finally.

[Athernar]

No one gave her a chance to see if she could provide the same level of service that her predecessor gave.

 

From my perspective, when you take a stance of deleting "hateful subreddits" that (from what I've read) had active rules disallowing information that could lead to individuals being identified, while then leaving a number of other subreddits intact that are well known for engaging in sustained targeted doxxing and harassment, you've already blown it.

 

Especially when both the lawsuit you brought against your former employer and those said subreddits are ideologically aligned.

[TPreston]

no. that's not racist when it's done to a single person. it's racist when it's done to a whole race.

And the part about her "criminal gay ###### husband"

[Nick H. Supervisor]

From my perspective, when you take a stance of deleting "hateful subreddits" that (from what I've read) had active rules disallowing information that could lead to individuals being identified, while then leaving a number of other subreddits intact that are well known for engaging in sustained targeted doxxing and harassment, you've already blown it.

Shoot, I'll hand in my resignation to Neowin in the morning then.

One person cannot be everywhere at once. When you step in to a position, especially something as large as Reddit, there are priorities in your mind as to what needs to be done first and foremost. Once that is handled, you can work your way down the list on other things that need correcting. Sometimes those priorities can be skewed according to your own beliefs, but that's not to say that you are solely looking to shape things so that they come out in your favour.

So far I'm still sticking with the idea that she wasn't given a chance because of her external situations, and this is why I find it hard to agree with the rejoicing of her quick departure.

[Athernar]

Shoot, I'll hand in my resignation to Neowin in the morning then.

One person cannot be everywhere at once. When you step in to a position, especially something as large as Reddit, there are priorities in your mind as to what needs to be done first and foremost. Once that is handled, you can work your way down the list on other things that need correcting. Sometimes those priorities can be skewed according to your own beliefs, but that's not to say that you are solely looking to shape things so that they come out in your favour.

So far I'm still sticking with the idea that she wasn't given a chance because of her external situations, and this is why I find it hard to agree with the rejoicing of her quick departure.

 

Unless you're confessing to intentionally biased moderation, and allowing specific users to do what they want while instantly banning others for minor infractions - it's not an equivalent situation.

[seta-san]

And the part about her "criminal gay ###### husband"

 

that's encyclopedia dramtica for you. they tell you about drama on the internet while being as offensive as possible while doing it.

[kozukumi]

What makes reddit great is the moderators and the community. Without the moderators, who are not paid, many of the most popular sub-reddits wouldn't exist. She didn't care about the moderators though and started making sweeping changes without any kind of discussion with the mods. 

 

Now nobody really knows why she got rid of Victoria, who was the go between for mods and people of note doing AMAs. Rumour has it that Ellen wanted to start making video AMAs and basically ruin the current format of AMAs to turn it into some sort of commercial tool. Limiting the kinds of questions that can be asked, etc. Basically turn AMA into a reddit interview. Victoria, apparently, disagreed with these ideas and Ellen didn't like that so got rid of her. 

 

That really was the tipping point for the mods. Victoria was loved in many sub-reddits because she did a great job of keeping the AMAs in with the spirit of reddit. That is what triggered the mods to set many popular sub-reddits to private in protest not just because they let Victoria go but because she did it with no notice or handover to the mods which caused many problems with several planned AMAs. And was just quite disrespectful to the people who work very hard moderating for free.

 

Also many people disliked Ellen due to the lawsuit, she came across as greedy and manipulative when she lost and it worried a lot of people that Ellen would ruin reddit trying to squeeze money out of it. When she suddenly banned a number of "hate" sub-reddits this brought these worries to more and more people. reddit has always been very liberal with its sub-reddits. Providing it isn't illegal (in the US) it is usually fair game but teasing fat people (one of the sub-reddits banned) isn't illegal or even that bad (and I am a fat person, sure it isn't a nice sub-reddit but it isn't one of the worst either) and it didn't settle well with the community at large.

 

All in all it was beginning to look like Ellen was going to make massive changes to reddit that would destroy the very thing that makes it what it is. Ellen didn't seem to "get" what reddit was and just wanted to get as much money out as quickly as possible while most likely killing it in the long term. The people who help to make reddit what it is didn't like this and so the petition started and the pressure began to rise.

 

However the death threats and all the personal attacks were uncalled for. Unfortunately these things do happen. People who the masses dislike often got death threats long before the internet, it just makes it easier is all. 

[Anibal P]

Of course it's also completely out of contact with reality, but..

 

Based on known facts I would say it's 100% spot on, she needed to go and anyone with half a brain knew why

[FiB3R]

So far I'm still sticking with the idea that she wasn't given a chance because of her external situations, and this is why I find it hard to agree with the rejoicing of her quick departure.

I think she had been in the position for 2 years.

[blerk]

Don't see the problem with her leaving. She was the CEO and was supposed to have control of her company. She showed no ability to control her company - the product and customers (i.e. the community) hated her, and she could do nothing but fuel the many fires that popped up. She clearly couldn't lead reddit, so it's best she goes. 

[Kierax2016]

What makes reddit great is the moderators and the community. Without the moderators, who are not paid, many of the most popular sub-reddits wouldn't exist. She didn't care about the moderators though and started making sweeping changes without any kind of discussion with the mods. 

 

Now nobody really knows why she got rid of Victoria, who was the go between for mods and people of note doing AMAs. Rumour has it that Ellen wanted to start making video AMAs and basically ruin the current format of AMAs to turn it into some sort of commercial tool. Limiting the kinds of questions that can be asked, etc. Basically turn AMA into a reddit interview. Victoria, apparently, disagreed with these ideas and Ellen didn't like that so got rid of her. 

 

That really was the tipping point for the mods. Victoria was loved in many sub-reddits because she did a great job of keeping the AMAs in with the spirit of reddit. That is what triggered the mods to set many popular sub-reddits to private in protest not just because they let Victoria go but because she did it with no notice or handover to the mods which caused many problems with several planned AMAs. And was just quite disrespectful to the people who work very hard moderating for free.

 

Also many people disliked Ellen due to the lawsuit, she came across as greedy and manipulative when she lost and it worried a lot of people that Ellen would ruin reddit trying to squeeze money out of it. When she suddenly banned a number of "hate" sub-reddits this brought these worries to more and more people. reddit has always been very liberal with its sub-reddits. Providing it isn't illegal (in the US) it is usually fair game but teasing fat people (one of the sub-reddits banned) isn't illegal or even that bad (and I am a fat person, sure it isn't a nice sub-reddit but it isn't one of the worst either) and it didn't settle well with the community at large.

 

All in all it was beginning to look like Ellen was going to make massive changes to reddit that would destroy the very thing that makes it what it is. Ellen didn't seem to "get" what reddit was and just wanted to get as much money out as quickly as possible while most likely killing it in the long term. The people who help to make reddit what it is didn't like this and so the petition started and the pressure began to rise.

 

However the death threats and all the personal attacks were uncalled for. Unfortunately these things do happen. People who the masses dislike often got death threats long before the internet, it just makes it easier is all. 

 

 

That is a good synopsis of the whole of the current events.  

 

My primary concern is that these changes was going to happen, and Ellen has took the scapegoat to give the Reddit community (not all of them) the kneejerk satisfaction that they have won, and thus will ignore the upcoming changes.

 

I really hope to be wrong on this.  

[theyarecomingforyou]

I don't doubt that she could have handled the situation better but I feel that a lot of the criticism directed as her is misogynistic, retaliation for the lawsuit she filed against her previous employer relating to gender discrimination. So many of the comments on various sites accuse her of sleeping her way to the top, of being unable to get anywhere in life without suing people. She has been demonised by the media and the online community.

 

Reddit has some great communities