The owners of reddit control the platform, but the users of reddit control the content. Reddit has nothing if people refuse to provide them with free content. That's the real power, but unless people are prepared to use that power, they're allowing reddit to control them. If everyone in the subreddits which were forcibly reopened simply agreed to not post or comment on anything in them the effect of the protest would be about as damaging as when they were locked.

I'm so sick of reddit's bullshit and it's clear that the platform is going to get worse from here on out. I honestly hope that people do move on and find and popularize new platforms. Even if reddit calms down and starts working with their users, the competition would be healthy and otherwise, I'm fine with reddit suffering the same fate as digg and myspace.