Conde Nast was never your friend either. And they'd do the same to monetize a media property. The problem is one of values and vision. Make Reddit a nonprofit and have it run by professional editors and journalists and there'd be a shot at creating the type of site you want. But as long as it remains for profit run by a marketing dweeb, lawyers, and PR flaks, this site will remain an ethical black hole. And you can't change that.