Personally, I think this is a long time coming. Like, Tom, I have nothing but respect for Maboo, but I think many, many people have raised the point that his, for lack of a better word, "antics" are holding the site back. I know a lot of people in the HN community have been sharply critical of him, and for good reason. Maybe that's the main driver here, and Maboo's absolutely inappropriate response is the catalyst.
I don't know much about RG's history, but I wonder if his antics are partly why the site was so successful initially? From the little I've seen of RG over the years it seems like they rely heavily on gimmicks and antics as a promotional tool (I guess that's sort of the MO for the music industry though).
I absolutely believe the site couldn't have gotten where it was today without Mahbod at its head. But I think that the way forward is, regrettably, without him for a while. I fully believe he can come back from this more mature and focused. But I think its going to require a bit of soul-searching.
I'm sure he will land on his feet quite well with his connections (and equity no doubt). Everybody goofs and the permanent and public nature of the internet can be very unforgiving. I wish him nothing but the best in the future with his health and career.
