Opening a temp file and then immediately deleting it is Unix SOP for ensuring temp files go away when the creating process dies.
It does NOT mean that mysql was done with them.
Doing a proper shutdown of mysql would have been the right thing. You mean to tell me your system can't survive a 1 minute outage of a single mysql at 3:00am?
tl;dr "I don't use Reddit, I don't even have an account. Here's how to fix it."
There is one thing he gets right though: there's a good chance "reddit" is simply not a business. I like Reddit, but there's no reason for a Big Media Company to own such a thing. They should cut their losses and sell it. Maybe someone can figure out how to run it with a small enough staff (say 10 people) so the $5MM/year revenue is enough for them.
Yes, the racism during Ferguson was appalling. Asian storeowners getting their stores looted and burned down, just for being Asian. White cops getting shot at just for being white. And a violent robbery suspect's family calling for a town to be burned down over phony charges of bias.