/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/24720622/acastro_STK024_02.jpg "Reddit asserts it will not override moderators and compel subreddits to reopen")
“We are not shutting down discussions or unilaterally reopening communities,” states a line from a “Reddit API Fact Sheet” shared by the company with The Verge.
During our interview, Huffman expressed his perspective on Reddit as a “democratic living organism created by its users.”
He further explained, “Every once in a while in cities, there’s a protest. And I think that’s what we’re seeing exactly right now. We appreciate that users can care enough to protest on Reddit, and our platform is resilient enough to survive such events,” as shared with my colleague Jay Peters.
The fact sheet also emphasizes the importance of dissent, debate, and discussions, stating that they are foundational parts of Reddit. The company respects the ability of its communities to protest as long as the moderators follow the Moderator Code of Conduct.
Before the blackout, many Redditors suggested that Huffman would remove the moderators from popular subreddits and reopen them forcefully. Allegations surfaced about the takeover of r/AdviceAnimals and r/tumblr, but it remains unclear if this is just typical moderator drama on Reddit.
However, Reddit now clarifies that it can remove inactive moderators and reorganize mod teams to empower active mods to make decisions for their communities. The pro-blackout moderator from r/AdviceAnimals was ejected due to accusations of inactivity for a year.
In theory, the mod ejection rule could be used as a pretext to reopen a subreddit by replacing mods with new ones who don’t want to protest. The new Mod Code of Conduct post states, “If a moderator team unanimously decides to stop moderating, we will invite new, active moderators to keep these spaces open and accessible to users. If there is no consensus, but at least one mod who wants to keep the community going, we will respect their decisions and remove those who no longer want to moderate from the mod team.”
While many subreddits remain dark, Reddit reports that over 80 percent of its top 5,000 communities (by daily active users) are open, and they expect this trend to continue.
Stay tuned for more insights from our interview with Huffman.
[Update, 7:31 PM ET: We added that the mod code of conduct rule could serve as a pretext to force open a subreddit.]
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Alex Smith is a writer and editor with over 10 years of experience. He has written extensively on a variety of topics, including technology, business, and personal finance. His work has been published in a number of magazines and newspapers, and he is also the author of two books. Alex is passionate about helping people learn and grow, and he believes that writing is a powerful tool for communication and understanding.
