
Proposal to delete the r/golang subreddit - Spiritus
https://groups.google.com/forum/m/#!msg/golang-nuts/XoOhzUClDPs/jgSWxng7CAAJ
======
jhayward
Brad's post was a colossally bad idea.

First, it reveals a very hostile attitude within Google toward the go
community - a complete lack of empathy for what his actions will do to tens of
thousands of developers who have adopted his team's product. Just by posting
what he did he's damaged the subreddit, which is apparently his intention.

Second, it reinforces the impression that Google is very temperamental in
support of their products and services. This is just another in a large stack
of examples of why not to choose Google for your project or company.

Third, Brad, please go talk to your PR folks. This could easily be spun as
"Google attacks Reddit in support of Trump forum", "Google abandons go
community", or any number of other baitings. About the only thing they will
like about it is that it was at least posted on Thanksgiving holiday, which
means most people who could exploit it will not notice.

Last, there is a larger, more adult concept known as equity in behavior that
Brad should try to adopt. Just because he has a personal ethical issue does
not mean he gets to damage other people. It's one thing to say "my personal
code does not permit me to continue here, how can I withdraw in the way that
is least damaging to others" vs "I'm going to use my position of privilege to
inflict as much harm on Reddit as I can, with no regard for damage to others".

I agree with @4ad. This is a team that really has no business doing community
support.

~~~
TheGrumpyBrit
Thanks for this - I don't follow Go and until I read your post, I'd assumed
that he was just a pissed off reddit user with no vested interest in Go
outside his capacity as a moderator. The fact that he's a developer who is
heavily involved in the product makes this a far bigger issue than I initially
thought it was.

Announcing that he's stepping down as moderator as a result of this is his
right and I'd completely support such a choice. Announcing that he's deleting
his Reddit account and will no longer be involved in the Reddit community is a
powerful statement given his position, and again, is a stance which I
completely support whether I agree with him or not. Openly suggesting that
other moderators also step down is perhaps a little OTT, but I still don't
really have a major problem with it. If the Go team as a whole want to
distance themselves from Reddit following this incident, that's
understandable.

But if that's what they want to do, the way to do that is to recruit
interested and active members of the subreddit to take over moderation duties.
I'd go as far as to say that, with a community of 25,000 people, that is your
duty as a moderator. Closing the subreddit completely shows a complete
disregard for a significant proportion of your user population. Doing so on
the ground of "unethical and immature" behaviour on the part of the CEO is
more than a little hypocritical. Making your proposal on a separate platform
so that those affected by your decision don't see it is unforgivable.

If you want to leave, fine. Taking your ball with you is just childish.

------
4ad
Wow. I am speechless.

The reddit until very recently had no involvement from the Go team whatsoever.
It was founded by uriel, which then added as mods some Go developers which
then never posted there. The community was thriving without any involvment
from the Go team at all.

More recently they decreed they _owned_ the place. Nobody was asked. It just
happened. They took over and proclaimed authority over it. They still were not
involved much, so it was just a change in name.

But now they want to delete it??! A place they had nothing to do with
whatsoever. Wow. What arrogance.

~~~
Sphax
Exactly. I'm pissed of that they treat us Reddit users that way. If they don't
want to use Reddit they can just fuck off somewhere else and let us be. We
don't need them to "moderate" us.

I have a lot of respect for the Go team but they sure are bad at managing
communities.

~~~
4ad
Oh yeah, they totally blew it with the Plan 9 community too. I had hoped they
learned their lesson, but no.

------
Udo
Apparently the background story broke yesterday, in case anyone is as clueless
about the impetus as I was:

[http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/24/reddits-ceo-edited-
comments-t...](http://www.cnbc.com/2016/11/24/reddits-ceo-edited-comments-
that-criticized-him.html)

~~~
nix0n
Does anyone know if u/spez edited anything in r/golang?

~~~
bradfitz
I was the one who proposed deleting /r/golang.

That's not the point.

If Github were modifying our code or Google Groups were modifying our mailing
list messages or SMTP content for their own amusement we wouldn't trust them
for a platform either.

I don't think we should demand less of Reddit.

My proposal is no longer to delete it, but to just disassociate ourselves from
it, making it unofficial like it used to be.

~~~
burke
Honestly, if I had been opening thousands of issues on GitHub that called
defunkt a pedophile, I would be wholly unsurprised if I got trolled back, and
I certainly wouldn't expect unrelated organizations doing real code things to
leave the platform in solidarity.

Not to say this was okay in any way, but certain subreddits are... pretty
special places.

------
Spiritus
Reddit discussion
[https://www.reddit.com/r/golang/comments/5eqs64/proposal_to_...](https://www.reddit.com/r/golang/comments/5eqs64/proposal_to_delete_rgolang/)

------
4ad
Dupe (no comments):
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13035122](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=13035122)

Let's see which thread survives.

