Reddit allows me to establish a community for free. I've established a number of them.
If people don't want to be unpaid mods, they don't have to be. No one forced them into that.
Do we need to address some things? Sure. But I have long advocated for the right of people to engage in unpaid labor or low paid labor if they choose to.
It's exactly how Founders of startups create the company that makes them millionaires. Saying no one is allowed to without first being rich creates a permanent social divide.
Would I like for there to be a means to get paid for moderating on reddit? Maybe. I certainly could use more money.
Do I want the burdens that typically accompany a paid day job? No. I'm handicapped and that's a disaster waiting to happen.
A lot of this was not intentional. And it's generally not as simple as people like to pretend it is for the sake of argument.
"I can choose to work for free on some things if I wish." does not contradict "Other folks are in the wrong to expect and demand that I work for free."
how is this relevant to Reddit (a tech site in SV) having the right to monetize off of other people's passion, though? And who is expecting and demanding what?
Reddit’s decision changed it previous equation with mods, and redefined the limits of power.
Reddit, since inception, had never made specific hire fire decisions for mods, especially for purely monetary reasons.
This makes it less volunteer moderation, and purely unpaid labor.
NB: I would add return on investment to your cabinet of villains.