Reddit is in temporary turmoil following the dismissal of its director of talent.
The self-proclaimed ‘front page of the internet’ has parted ways with Victoria Taylor, who was largely responsible for securing and coordinating AMAs – Q&A sessions with celebrities and prominent figures.
Neither Reddit nor Taylor have revealed the reasons behind her exit.
As a result of the departure, moderators have made a number of popular subreddits private. These include /r/Books, /r/Science, /r/Music and /r/Tech.
A post on the site hints at a lack of transparency, and suggests that Taylor’s departure could have major consequences.
“We all had the rug ripped out from under us and feel betrayed,” it reads. “Before [letting Taylor go], the admins really should have at least talked to us (and all the other subs that host AMAs, like /r/Books, /r/Science, /r/Music, etc.).
“We had a number of AMAs scheduled for today that Victoria was supposed to help with, and they are all left absolutely high and dry.”
However, another post on the /r/OutOfTheLoop subreddit claims that the mini mutiny is a result of wider issues at the company.
“As much as Victoria is loved, this reaction is not all a result of her departure: there is a feeling among many of the moderators of reddit that the admins do not respect the work that is put in by the thousands of unpaid volunteers who maintain the communities of the 9,656 active subreddits, which they feel is expressed by, among other things, the lack of communication between them and the admins, and their disregard of the thousands of mods who keep reddit’s communities going,” it states.
Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian has attempted to calm the storm, saying that he will take the AMA reins in Taylor’s absence, and that the section would continue to “thrive”.
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UPDATE (12.15 BST): All of the subreddits listed above are now running as normal, except for /r/Music.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
