So, you’ve returned to Ask an Admin Part Deux, huh? Well, welcome back.

For those unfamiliar, we had our first weekly AaA last friday, which you can find here.

This week I’m answering a couple of questions about behind-the-scenes Reddit. I’ll do this every week. Feel free to ask anything, whether it be Reddit-related, office life, where to get the best burrito in San Francisco, my in depth analysis on Moby Dick, my strong feelings for bringing back B-52 bombers—anything.

What’s a contribution you’re personally proud of from your time at Reddit?

— Reddit user drachnstern

I’ll give you two moments that really stand out. One that’s fairly recent (care to take a guess before the next paragraph?), and one which, to be honest, I’m a bit hesitant to share… but will anyway.

First, this Ask An Admin weekly is something I am (will be) very proud of. I’ve been pitching this idea around for a few weeks, and am ecstatic to finally be getting on the ground running. As a Reddit Admin, I really believe it’s my duty not just to keep you informed on company happenings, but to fill you in on the behind-the-scenes details that aren’t always seen by the public (as much as I can!). Working for Reddit is fun and I want the users to know we’re not all just a bunch of grouches trying to bring the site down. So, if I can help to make the relationship stronger between the user and admin by replying to a few questions a week from the community then I’m totally going to do that. I will be really proud of this column if in several weeks, we’re at the bar for an Admin & User meetup, laughing about something ridiculous that showed up on the frontpage. I’m not joking when I say this, either. Ask An Admin is going to be awesome, guys.

Second: Several months ago, Reddit officially released our company Core Values and I was a member on the team that helped formulate this list. Members of this group represented nearly every team in the company (engineers, sales, support, etc.), so it was a great collaboration of viewpoints and theories, working together to build something positive for the community.

We spent weeks, literally, discussing each bullet point, deliberately and thoroughly, as we truly wanted something spectacular that the Reddit community as a whole could look at and be proud of. Well, on the day of the official release, things did not go swimmingly. The company was ridiculed on a plethora of issues, many of which were valid and deserved, and which really proved to be a turning point (imo) in Reddit’s recent string of poor decisions.

The truth (as I will always be frank with you) is, Reddit wanted to create a thoughtful, positive step forward for the company. Creating this list, we had nothing but positive intentions: to present the community with an honest and progressive step forward for Reddit’s future. Saying I’m “proud” of the reaction we received is incorrect— because it did hurt— but building a set of values that I think the admins and community can adhere to, from here on out, is something I stand behind.

Was the execution done poorly? Sure, but I assure you that the underlying connotation was sincere. I’m personally proud of the fact that this community is still growing into something truly outstanding. After recent policy changes this week, I feel Reddit is continuing to move in the right direction. Yes, we’ve had plenty of rough patches, but moving forward I see so much potential, with the Core Values serving as a catalyst—to where Admins can create weekly Q&As and be open with you all—and that isn’t any flowery PR BS, It’s really how I feel.

Which Admin has the most annoying laugh?

— Reddit user nacmar

I’m going to skirt the “annoying” part of this question a bit and instead focus on those who have some of the bestlaughs in the office. Nobody here really has an annoying laugh, tbh, but there are definitely some standouts. I’d be remiss if I didn’t start by quoting my colleague u/powerlanguage, who had some choice words of his own regarding my laugh. From last week:

For those wondering, u/bluepinkblack‘s laugh sounds like happiness in a tumble dryer. Innocent, warm and uplifting.

How endearing. For the record, u/powerlanguage’s laugh sounds like a ball of cotton candy slamming into a goose feather pillow, in zero-gravity atmosphere—quite charming, really.

There are some colleagues whose laughs I love: u/taxidermyunicornhead, u/maxgprime, u/al3xgarcia. They all have really wholesome, cheerful laughs, and a great senses of humor. There are some laughs I hear often, when in chorus together, you’d swear were from a laugh track straight off a comedy album. Those come from my co-ragtags in The Annex (Reddit HQ’s backroom exile of brilliant misfits), with u/krispykrackers, u/spgreenwood, u/willowgrain, andu/highshelfofsteam, just to name a few. When in unison, these laughs can form pitches hazardous to one’s health.

Finally, there’s u/youngluck and u/clarencethemonster, who for my money, may have the best two laughs on the entire staff. These two are ALWAYS laughing, always cheerful, and can instantly put smiles on your face simply by being in their presence. I implore you to reach out to ALL of these Admins and force them to PM you jokes, as that will totally not flood their inbox, I swear.

How involved are Reddit Admins with regards to developing user policy? …Is your input considered equally with that of an Admin more familiar with situations involving users/products? Are there certain opinions that are more valuable?

— Reddit user yellowmix

I’ll preface this answer first by saying that like many companies, there is a chain of command. At the top there’s a CEO, and below the CEO are managers and directors who lead teams, projects, etc. On those teams, you’ll find other leaders and, for the sake of completing this chain, below them you’ll find your everyday, average employee (Hi Mom, I’m down here!). This is common and, like many businesses, Reddit does incorporate a similar flow chart.

However— and I say this with a phenomenal however— every single employee who works for Reddit can have a say in just about every policy or project, as we truly value everyone’s ideas. At Reddit HQ, we have weekly office hours where topics are discussed, projects and ideas are demoed, and questions and answer sessions happen frequently.

Advice, constructive criticism, and ideas for improvement are all welcome. There are usually cross-departmental teams happening at any given time, where again, all input is welcome and respected. I can tell you with certainty that if I crossed a manager in the hall, or heck, u/spez or u/kn0thing for that matter, with an idea on my mind, I could run it by them on the spot with no qualm.

Of course, in regards to your question specifically, it would not make sense for someone like myself, who works on Reddit Gifts daily, to approach someone on, say, the security or data team, and give unsolicited advice on improvement—that would just look silly. But, if I felt strongly about something, then sure, I could express my opinion or thought, without any internal backlash or odd looks. The Admins are a big family, and we truly do value each other’s thoughts on our work.

Ask an Admin is our weekly feature by Reddit Gifts Admin Greg Goomishian. Got a question about life at Reddit behind-the-scenes or otherwise? Email your question at _______.