The IPO is really the only thing that matters to reddit right now. Their entire decision making system is based around how to increase value and profitability as quickly as possible so that the IPO is successful (my guess is that this is in hopes of leaving investors holding the bag.)
Although they don’t care to do anything about it, this current behavior is exactly what will make them unstable in the long-term. Having better organization, and a better business acumen, and being better to their community will net better profitability. But none of that matters as long as short-term, the IPO pays for the sins of the past.
Of course. Storage space is cheaper on 7200rpm drives, and has, historically, for years. SSD is rapidly dropping in price, but it’s not on the same level, yet. Western Digital Gold 4TB is $150 USD. Crucial MX500 4TB SSD is $200.
EDIT: SSD is also not available for large drives, 8-20TB.