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Reddit Welcomes Michael Seibel to Board of Directors

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Re: Reddit Welcomes Michael Seibel to Board of Directors

#11

Post by jedieaston »

Thorentis wrote: post #5

I really hope this doesn't mean Hacker News will start getting inspiration from Reddit, or that Alexis Ohanian doesn't get dillusions of grandeur and wants to turn this into what Reddit is (a profiteering social media company fuelled by ads and astroturfing). We really don't want that. What we have here is something quite special, and as far as I can see, unique on modern internet. It is a tiny slice of what the "old…

I mean, HN isn’t really relevant as an asset to ycombinator besides a advertising asset, right? It has a couple million monthly users, maybe 1 new feature a year, and runs on a single core. It’s more of a demonstration of Arc than anything, right?

Re: Reddit Welcomes Michael Seibel to Board of Directors

#13

Post by nisuni »

I am sorry for him. I know as a fact that he’s brilliant and fully deserves the position, but given the circumstances (Ohanian resigning and calling for someone black to replace him) he will always have to live with people having the reasonable doubt that he didn’t arrive there for merit alone.

Re: Reddit Welcomes Michael Seibel to Board of Directors

#14

Post by [deleted] »

Thorentis wrote: post #5

I really hope this doesn't mean Hacker News will start getting inspiration from Reddit, or that Alexis Ohanian doesn't get dillusions of grandeur and wants to turn this into what Reddit is (a profiteering social media company fuelled by ads and astroturfing). We really don't want that. What we have here is something quite special, and as far as I can see, unique on modern internet. It is a tiny slice of what the "old…

[deleted]

Re: Reddit Welcomes Michael Seibel to Board of Directors

#15

Post by cryptica »

Thorentis wrote: post #6
arshbot wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't the threat of change be going in the opposite direction?

Well, that would only make Reddit better, but Redit is much much bigger. The bigger risk is that Alexis sees what Reddit is doing (maybe gets a peak at their balance sheet) and thinks that what we have here is the next big social media unicorn he can overhaul and then flog off to the highest bidder.

What?? I enjoy reading Hacker News and commenting, but Reddit is a lot more open and puts a higher value on free speech and contrarian ideologies (some of it is borderline horrible, but that's OK, that's the price of free speech). I'd be more worried about him bringing HN policies to Reddit.

Trying to get superficially good behavior from users by punishing contrarian views isn't going to work in this case. But it works for HN because people know that we're just guests on a VC's property.

But I come to HN to push agendas and collect feedback on ideas, not to share what I really think about.

Re: Reddit Welcomes Michael Seibel to Board of Directors

#16

Post by LyndsySimon »

Serious question - since Ohanian has publicly stated that he urged the board to replace him with black candidate, is there a possibility that could face an EEOC charge?

Perhaps this doesn’t apply, as there may not be “applicants” depending upon how their bylaws are set up - without applicants I’m not sure who would have standing.

Re: Reddit Welcomes Michael Seibel to Board of Directors

#19

Post by obilgic »

nisuni wrote: post #13

I am sorry for him. I know as a fact that he’s brilliant and fully deserves the position, but given the circumstances (Ohanian resigning and calling for someone black to replace him) he will always have to live with people having the reasonable doubt that he didn’t arrive there for merit alone.

You could say that to any "first X to become/do Y"

Re: Reddit Welcomes Michael Seibel to Board of Directors

#20

Post by covercash »

Thorentis wrote: post #6
arshbot wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't the threat of change be going in the opposite direction?

Well, that would only make Reddit better, but Redit is much much bigger. The bigger risk is that Alexis sees what Reddit is doing (maybe gets a peak at their balance sheet) and thinks that what we have here is the next big social media unicorn he can overhaul and then flog off to the highest bidder.

Read the article again, you’re reversing what’s happening... Alexis isn’t joining YC/HN’s board, he stepped down from Reddit and is being replaced by Michael Seibel. Michael is YC’s current CEO.
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