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Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

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Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#171
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

IMHO you and the parent post are both right: this is all around bad behavior by all parties involved. I was let go once. I've told the story, but I have never mentioned the name of the company and I won't tell you if asked. I also had a horrible experience with a co-founder in my first startup to the point that I consider the guy a con man, but likewise I will only tell the story with all names and identifying detail…

I came started reading this thread with the thought that the CEO was in the right. After reading many of the comments, I have to believe that both were in the wrong and this is the right way to go.

It's hard to stay completely rational when you're angry. I'm not perfect, and occasionally say inflammatory things.

But at the same time I realize this is something you need to try to do, especially when you're dealing in the realm of personal business relationships where it matters most.

Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#172

"yishan 27 points 15 minutes ago Hiya. It was a harsh response, I agree (there's actually more, but we're pulling our punches, if you can believe it), and in fact all day yesterday I didn't want to post a reply, hoping his AMA wouldn't get too much traction or he wouldn't spout too many misconceptions and we could all just continue going our separate ways. Problem is, this was starting to really irritate a number of…

TL;DR: "We got antsy; we didn't know what to do; so we retaliated."

Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#173
post #63
post #50

Good lord, I hope the $50M investors in reddit are beating down the doors to get a PR person at the company so the CEO stops making crazy moves like this. There's no way a good developer would want to go work for Reddit when the CEO slaps people around in public (whether they deserve it or not). Sometimes you need to be the bigger man and move on instead of quarreling in public.

Agreed, this post only makes reddit look like a very unprofessional workplace.

It's a website with entire sections devoted to cat pictures, stupid image memes, borderline child pornography and all kinds of other weird shit.

Why would you expect it to be "professional"?

Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#174
I do not know much about laws. After working some years at an organization, asked to leave without stating any reason can be painful, traumatic to the employee. Employee can be alone with dependents and all of a sudden his/her world can be crashed.

Basic human courtesy can be to let the employee clearly know why he/she is asked to leave. At least, after knowing the reasons, he/she may change his behavior in future employment. If reasons are not known, employee can never know in reality what mistake is made/highlighted/led to this drastic decision and some times that act may be accidental or any politics by some other person ...etc. Since the employee says " by not stating a reason. It's also really hard to work through in your mind." i.e. he/she is still clueless on what exactly happened.

1. Is it not fair/humane to give employee a chance to hear charges and to tell his/her side of story so that independent body can decide fairly?

2. Reasons given by CEO such as incompetence,inappropriate comments,not taking feedback by managers may or may not be true in reality since proofs are not provided. Software development is a team work. So some times, mistakes of others can create burden on other and management may not aware of real culprit. Feedback is tricky aspect. I noticed management sometimes can be highly opinionated without real understanding of complexity of work/problems/issues, solutions tried ...etc. Managers just for their bonuses/promotions or to appear good in front of their bosses, act as intelligent or knowledgeable, though in reality they can be novices in many aspects. So if feedback is irrelevant or if feedback lacks common sense or lacks domain knowledge ...etc, then how employee can accept it?

We do not know many specifics about the incident and we do not have proofs So we clearly cannot point out who is wrong but employee should have been given a hearing by independent group on the charges so that he can defend and if that independent group do not agree, then they can ask him/her to leave.

Even in courts, where death sentence can be given, charges will be told and accused can provide his story/point of view on what happened and then court passes judgment. Then why similar facility cannot be provided to employee rather than throwing out like used tissue paper? It does not sound humane at all.

Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#175
post #157

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And why should we believe the CEO? I don't trust either of them. At all. What I do know, though, is that one of them wrote a comment which is tremendously meaner than those of the other person.

Because the CEO just exposed himself for a serious lawsuit if even an iota of this statement is not true, not to mention a media shitstorm and total loss of faith of his subordinates. This is strong evidence in favour of believing him over the other guy.

Emotions can make people do extremely irrational things. Regardless, there's still the more fundamental point that I can't find anything this guy wrote that justified that sort of extremely intense response from the CEO. His criticisms were incredibly light for someone who was fired and his speculation about his own firing was very mild-mannered.

That sort of response strikes me as crazily vindictive and the sheer anger of it makes it pretty hard for me to trust its author.

Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#176
post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A CEO's job isn't to be "a fucking human being". It's to be the public face of the company, and represent its interests in all of his/her professional (and often personal) interactions. To get stroppy like this abrogates that responsibility in such a way, and to such a degree, that it may well be actionable.

Agreed. It doesn't help that his post was clearly made during working hours, on company time and with his official account. This is now the Reddit's official and definitive response to this employee's termination. You can go against the grain as a CEO and be more involved and approachable but, at the end of the day it is your ultimate responsibility to uphold the best interests of the company and it's investors. I'd…

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Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#177
post #174

I do not know much about laws. After working some years at an organization, asked to leave without stating any reason can be painful, traumatic to the employee. Employee can be alone with dependents and all of a sudden his/her world can be crashed. Basic human courtesy can be to let the employee clearly know why he/she is asked to leave. At least, after knowing the reasons, he/she may change his behavior in future em…

> After working some years at an organization

How many years has this person worked at reddit?

> Is it not fair/humane to give employee a chance to hear charges and to tell his/her side of story so that independent body can decide fairly?

The employee does have a chance at redress by an independent body. At least in California, they can sew their past employer for wrongful termination. It will probably cost them a lot of money, especially if they were rightfully fired, but who were you hoping to pay for the 'independent body' to defend? The employer can't, it would be a conflict of interest.

Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#178
post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe it's not "professional", where that word has the common meaning of avoiding saying hard truths on the grounds that someone's feelings and/or political position might be hurt. This significantly elevates Reddit, IMO. Their CEO acts like a fucking human being instead of a politicized, sanitized, pretentious, weasel-wording sock puppet like so many other CEOs. You have no idea how much respect I have for this.

A CEO's job isn't to be "a fucking human being". It's to be the public face of the company, and represent its interests in all of his/her professional (and often personal) interactions. To get stroppy like this abrogates that responsibility in such a way, and to such a degree, that it may well be actionable.

Disagree. Nipping the rumor in the bud that Reddit management fires for dissenting opinion has tangible value to hiring and retention, so a case could be made that Yishan was compelled to provide this response as part of his fiduciary duty. Reddit is a special case that is very pitchfork-happy when it comes to online drama, and even a mere offhand rumor will grow legs.

This specific response with that level of harshness is definitely worth discussing, but if you're going to make the abrogation of fiduciary duty argument I think I'd side on him doing the right thing here (with respect to that).

Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#179
post #164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All the CEO's response accomplishes for me is prove the accusation that was out there. The ex-employee implied management doesn't like criticism. Management then completely overreacts to criticism.

It's not the criticism; it's the fact that an ex-employee is lying through his teeth about the company.

where are the proofs that ex-employee is lying? It can be CEO is covering up. Is it not?

Re: Reddit CEO Calls Out Former Reddit Employee on Reddit

#180
post #140

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe it's not "professional", where that word has the common meaning of avoiding saying hard truths on the grounds that someone's feelings and/or political position might be hurt. This significantly elevates Reddit, IMO. Their CEO acts like a fucking human being instead of a politicized, sanitized, pretentious, weasel-wording sock puppet like so many other CEOs. You have no idea how much respect I have for this.

A CEO's job isn't to be "a fucking human being". It's to be the public face of the company, and represent its interests in all of his/her professional (and often personal) interactions. To get stroppy like this abrogates that responsibility in such a way, and to such a degree, that it may well be actionable.

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