Ellen Pao Stepping Down As Reddit Interim CEO After User Rebellion

Pao is resigning and being replaced by co-founder and ex- chief, Steve Huffman, the company said.

Pao took over earlier this year as Reddit CEO after being fired from the prominent venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, prompting a highly publicised lawsuit.

Pao had served as interim CEO since the departure of ex- chief executive Yishan Wong, who stepped down in November.

Pao got in hot water after Victoria Taylor, a popular employee who had managed Reddit‘s “Ask Me Anything” feature, was apparently let go.

When Taylor was dismissed, many unpaid moderators chose to protest the decision by shutting down their sections.

Pao posted the news of her resignation on Reddit several hours ago, saying that she’s seen all sides of Reddit and reminding users to treat each other as human beings.

She added at the time: “We have apologized and made promises to you, the moderators and the community, over many years, but time and again, we haven’t delivered on them”.

“The reduction in compassion that happens when we’re all behind computer screens is not good for the world”, he wrote.

In her post, Pao said that she’s “seen the good, the bad and the ugly on reddit” in her eight months at the helm of the company.

Ellen Pao’s had a rough week. She was one of the key faces behind Reddit and was the one who brought some major changes to the site in the recent past.

“She made some mistakes, for sure”, continued Altman, “but I think she did remarkably well in a very tough situation”.

In addition, she and Altman both criticized the sometimes vitriolic comments leveled at Pao by reddit users during the imbroglio, which apparently included death threats.

“If the reddit community can not learn to balance authenticity and compassion, it may be a great website but it will never be a truly great community”, he said.

On Friday, as Reddit board chairman Sam Altman held an Ask Me Anything Q and A on the move, the trolls of the Internet rejoiced with misogyny and vitriolic glee. The trial pulled Pao into the courtroom and global media spotlight, and pulled her away from her duties at Reddit, a source of contention for many in the Reddit community.