Reddit CEO Resigns Amid Turmoil at Website

Following a turbulent period for the popular website, Reddit CEO Ellen Pao resigned from her post on Friday. The company asserted the decision was of “mutual agreement.”

Reddit

Reddit founder Steve Huffman will return to his original position as CEO. Pao will serve as an advisor to the board through 2015.

“We’re very happy to have Steve back. Product and community are the two legs of reddit, and the board was very focused on finding a candidate who excels at both (truthfully, community is harder), which Steve does,” the website announced on Friday. “He has the added bonus of being a founder with ten years of reddit history in his head. Steve is rejoining Alexis, who will work alongside Steve with the new title of ‘cofounder’”

The massive online Reddit community revolted in protest of the abrupt and unexplained firing of a staffer popular with the volunteers that help run the site. Reddit board member Sam Altman said in the statement that it was “sickening to see some of the things redditors wrote about Ellen [Pao].”

“The reduction in compassion that happens when we’re all behind computer screens is not good for the world. People are still people even if there is Internet between you,” he wrote. “If the reddit community cannot learn to balance authenticity and compassion, it may be a great website but it will never be a truly great community.”

As for the future of Reddit, the website plans to improve the moderation process for users and improvements to the site’s mobile functionality.

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