You phrased that in the past tense, but I assure you that a number of major subreddits are still private at this moment. With each passing day, my sympathy for the moderators diminishes and I become more receptive to the notion that Reddit should reopen the subreddit, remove all the existing mods, and hold elections for new ones. With a subreddit that has 1M+ users I guarantee there are at least a few dedicated souls that will jump at the opportunity. Only current moderators think they are a rare, irreplaceable asset.