Despite the chaos that enveloped Reddit after Ellen Pao's actions in recent days, the new CEO has no plans to change anything.
Interim Reddit CEO Ellen Pao has been forced out after a site-wide revolt against her due to the firing of a popular employee and the decision to shutter some subreddits — a decision that many on the site blasted as an affront to free speech — but the new CEO has no intention of reversing any of the things that likely led to her departure.
In an “Ask Me Anything” threat on Reddit, the co-founder of the site and new CEO Steve Huffman said he had no plans to bring back the subreddits that were banned, including “fatpeoplehate,” a place where people went to mock obese people, according to a ZDNet report.
Pao’s decision to ban this and some other subreddits that she accused of being responsible for harassment led to a massive backlash against her in June, and intensified with the firing of Victoria Taylor, a popular employee at Reddit who was responsible for setting up the AMAs and verifying the identity of the people who participated, including President Barack Obama and numerous celebrities and experts.
Instead, Huffman said he planned to create a “clear content policy” to make it clear what is not acceptable bevhaior on the site. For example, things that are illegal, things that undermine Reddit’s integrity, and things that cause fear and harm to others. He stood by the decision to ban “fatpeoplehate,” calling it “harassment and bullying.”
When asked about highly offensive subreddits that were allowed to remain, including those that ridiculous black people and Jews, Huffman said that while the content is “reprehensible,” they don’t have a negative impact on specific individuals like “fatpeoplehate” did.
On Victoria Taylor, Huffman said “she was let go for specific reasons,” and declined to share those reasons.
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