Core users helped build Reddit into one of the world's most-trafficked sites (33rd, by the latest Alexa traffic estimate) with 160 million visitors every month. Bought by Conde Nast in 2006, it's since claimed the title of the "front page of the internet" - a place for wide-ranging, free, online discussions, even if that discourse is distasteful, rude, or downright offensive. Thousands of Reddit users are calling for CEO Ellen Pao to be removed following Victoria Taylor's dismissal. Credit:Reuters But over the past few months, since Ellen Pao took over as interim chief executive, the site has implemented policies to clean up its act, most notably strict rules against harassment. That's upset many users who want to see the site remain free, warts and all. Which brings us to Taylor. Victoria Taylor joined Reddit in 2013 to be its first director of communications, by way of the public relations firm ID PR. At the time of her hiring, then-Reddit executive Erik Martin described her as an "advocate and supporter of all things Reddit for years." From the start, Taylor highlighted the "Ask Me Anything" or AMA, open question-and-answer sessions that are high-profile draws for Reddit, as one of her favourite aspects of the site. She soon became nearly synonymous with the subreddit, allowing her to build a fan following of her own. Often, she personally managed interactions between Reddit users and celebrities, politicians and leading academics.

First as director of communications and then as director of talent, Taylor quickly gained the reputation of being quick, competent and trustworthy. In other words: someone who just "got" Reddit, and worked hard to listen to its community at a time when core users felt their vision for Reddit was under siege by the company's new policies. As one of the moderators for the AMA section of Reddit noted : "The admins didn't realise how much we rely on Victoria. Part of it is proof, of course: we know it's legitimate when she's sitting right there next to the person and can make them provide proof. We've had situations where agents or others have tried to do an AMA as their client, and Victoria shut that [down] immediately. We can't do that anymore." Even worse, the moderators posted Friday, there was no warning about Taylor's dismissal, which left the moderators feeling high and dry. Reddit users complained that the dismissal was the last straw in a long line of frustrations that community members had with the company's leadership. "Management appears to be focused on Reddit's image, and not devoting any resources to actually running the site," one prominent moderator, who asked to go by his Reddit handle Beernerd, said in an email. "It's as if they're trying to decide what colour to paint the walls while completely overlooking a crack in the foundation."

Combined with growing existing anger about the direction Reddit is taking, that was enough to prompt moderators to make parts of the site inaccessible to the public. It was also enough to make users pick up their digital pitchforks and gather over 190,000 signatures for an online petition demanding Pao's resignation. When asked about her most vitriolic detractors, Pao said that those people represented a vocal minority of the site's members, and that she appreciated most users, even if they sometimes disagreed on policies. Pao wrote last week that better moderator software tools for running the site were coming soon and pledged to communicate better with members via a new liaison, who goes by the handle "KrispyKrackers." She also promised to more frequently respond directly to the community herself. "I know these are just words, and it may be hard for you to believe us," Pao wrote Monday. "I and the team are committed to talking more often with the community, starting now."

Taylor did not respond to a request for comment. She's been quiet on Reddit and other social media apart from a couple of posts Friday saying she was "dazed" while also thanking people for their support. For it's part, Reddit is staying mum on why, exactly, they've let Taylor go and declined to discuss it when asked by The Post, citing the privacy over personnel issues. AMAs are slated for change. In a statement Monday, Reddit executive chairman and co-founder Alexis Ohanian said that the company is looking at revamping AMAs, with an eye on attracting more celebrity and influential people to become regulars on the site, rather than guests. In a statement sent to The Post, Ohanian said: "With our announcement on Friday, we're phasing out our role being in-between interesting people and the reddit audience so that we can focus on helping remarkable people become redditors, not just stop by on a press tour. "The responsibilities of our talent relations team going forward is about integrating celebrities, politicians, and noteworthy people as consistent posters (like Arnold, Snoop, or Bernie Sanders) rather than one off occurrences. Instead of just working with them once a year to promote something via AMA, we want to be a resource to help them to actually join the reddit community. "We're still introducing and sourcing talent for AMAs, just now giving the moderators the autonomy to conduct them themselves."

The company isn't staying quiet, however, about the perception that there's been a split between its core audience and its management. Pao apologised for the way the Taylor dismissal was handled and said in a statement that the company should have been more communicative with the moderators - forum leaders who don't work for Reddit but nevertheless keep its sprawling site chugging along. Ohanian has been posting reams of comments all over Reddit - at times answering individual questions - and saying in no uncertain terms that Reddit handled things poorly. As for the AMAs, they are back online, with moderators saying they are still unhappy with the situation but adding, "it would be unfair for us not to publicly recognise the recent efforts on the part of the site administration to 'make it right'." The apologies by the executives are important: Reddit may have larger ambitions, but it needs to keep its base happy to avoid the fate of Digg, a similar web site, which failed after shifting too quickly from its base. The company apologised yet again Monday, saying in a post by Pao it will introduce a new position - Moderator Advocate - and improve moderator tools: "I know these are just words, and it may be hard for you to believe us. I don't have all the answers, and it will take time for us to deliver concrete results. I mean it when I say we screwed up, and we want to have a meaningful ongoing discussion. I know we've drifted out of touch with the community as we've grown and added more people, and we want to connect more. I and the team are committed to talking more often with the community, starting now." Washington Post