Reddit moderators shut down several online message boards' most popular sections in the wake of an apparent protest by users after the shocking removal of a popular employee, Victoria Taylor.
Several sections of the popular online message board, Reddit were unavailable Friday reportedly due to a protest by many of the site's moderators after the unanticipated dismissal of a high-ranking company employee.
The shutdown reportedly began on Thursday evening and expanded rapidly on Friday.
According to reports from The New York Times, the move affected almost 300 individual discussion area called subreddits that focus on individual topics such as technology, art, and business. Subreddits are usually moderated by self-appointed members of the community who are not official Reddit employees.
Shortly after Reddit's director of talent, Victoria Taylor, was dismissed on Thursday afternoon, the shutdowns began. The volunteers posted a document online on Friday asking for better communication with official staff, and improved software tools for community management.
"I'm sorry we let our community down yesterday." She added, "We should have informed our community moderators about the transition and worked through it with them," Reddit's interim chief executive, Ellen Pao said in a telephone interview on Friday.
As far as the reason for Ms. Taylor's dismissal is concerned, the company cited a policy of not commenting on personel matters and declined to give a reason. However, Ms. Pao said that the company had appointed Kristine Fasnacht as liaison with Reddit administrators.
Reddit co-founder and executive chairman, Alexis Ohanian has posted comments to users on the site in a bid to smooth things over.
"We don't talk about specific employees, but I do want you to know that I'm here to triage AMA requests in the interim. All AMA inquiries go to AMA@reddit.com where we have a team in place," Ohanian noted.
I posted this on [a mod sub] but I'm reposting here:
We get that losing Victoria has a significant impact on the way you manage your community. I'd really like to understand how we can help solve these problems, because I know r/IAMA thrived before her and will thrive after.
We're prepared to help coordinate and schedule AMAs. I've got the inbound coming through my inbox right now and many of the people who come on to do AMAs are excited to do them without assistance (most recently, the noteworthy Channing Tatum AMA)," Ohanian added.
No doubt, Taylor who is known on the community by the username "Chooter," has been a key administrator for the site's Q-and-A subreddit "Ask Me Anything," a significant section of Reddit that has hosted conversations called "AMAs" with everyone.
According to several Reddit users, Taylor was axed without warning and this story stirred conversations through the site causing widespread outcry on the site. Several moderators began locking down their sections of Reddit in unity starting Thursday night.
Users have called it the "AMAgeddon," The Washington Post reported.
A widespread anti-Pao sentiment is swirling on the site citing that several Reddit users are blaming Pao for Taylor's departure.
Taylor, on the other hand has not commented publicly on the matter besides noting on Reddit that she was stunned by the situation, she also thanked people for the support via Twitter.
