I don't know if you've noticed this, but threads or comments about Lemmy or the Fediverse get downvoted a lot on Reddit and trolls who claim that it's "dogshit" and "not going anywhere" get systematically upvoted.
Some of those trolls get then exposed when you ask them what Lemmy instance they tried and one of them with whom I had a surreal exchange answered with something like "yeah ofc I used Lemmy, this is the instance: join-lemmy.org" π€¦ββοΈ
It's frustrating that these trolls keep contributing to the big lie that "Lemmy is not ready yet" and that there's "no viable alternative to Reddit".
This and the overwhelming number of comments being "against the mod protests" just prompts me to question whether there isn't some brigading being organized straight from the Reddit HQ.
Regarding #2, I think not defederating might be an easier sell if users had the ability to block instances. Right not it's just users and communities. Hate lemmygrad? You can block its communities one by one, but it's kind of a pain. So instances only have the option of a full block.
Lemmygrad is a great instance, western chauvinist.
Lemmygrad is thoroughly obnoxious. Full stop. Also, you clearly have no idea what western chauvinism is if you're calling me one.
Edit: To clarify, I don't want Lemmygrad being defederated. It breaks up the Fediverse for little reason. But I do want users to be given the option to block instances on either the community or user level. Would I say the same thing about a right wing instance with a history of bigotry and hate? No, that's another matter that goes beyond mere discomfort.
You for the past 3 years have been specifically propping up on Lemmy anything that aligns with NATO, while talking in a cheesy manner. You are the classical hideous western chauvinist. You hate Lemmygrad because you hate communism, and love neoliberal capitalism. Period.
Lemmygrad is not obnoxious, it is Anglosphere that is. Lemmygrad is pretty factual regarding history and geopolitics, and is the exact opposite of Anglo participants on internet. You hate Lemmygrad because they are anti imperialism.
I dislike it because it is a personality cult and worships governments that have not earned that praise. Communism doesn't enter into it. While I'm not communist, I don't hate it. It has some interesting insights, but it's hard to ignore that in practice it usually just makes a new ruling class that has no intention of ever releasing power. I'm interested to see where China goes over the next few decades as it shifts from playing catch up (easy productivity gains) to reaching parity (harder productivity gains).
At this point, you're just picking pejoratives out of a hat marked "disagrees with me". I don't believe in Western superiority, even if I believe in certain values that are widely espoused in the West (free speech, democracy, etc.). But I'm not shy about being critical of my country when it goes astray from my values. And I'm free to do so because I live in a country where that is a right. Would you do the same for China? Would you feel safe doing so if you lived in China?
And for the record, my family has a long history of appreciating cultures around the world. I just don't like authoritarianism, populism, and kleptocracy, regardless of what political brand is associated with it.
It just coincidentally happens that all your history says otherwise. Years of your comments just being delusional abstractions, coincidentally siding with whoever is against China/Russia/Iran et al. It is definitely not a pattern, it is just mere coincidence. You have no degree of nuance, and its always hairsplitting aimed towards a goal of western neoliberal virtue signalling.
Countries that you say have not "earned that praise" happen to be countries that have not committed the atrocities that Anglo empire commits, which is funny since you do oppose the countries that do not commit atrocities, siding with the ones that do.
Again, you confirm my claims of western chauvinism, by claiming democracy is a "widely espoused" western principle. And it is funny, how China is more democratic than USA, since you bring that up. Hong Kong during the Basic Law issue had a poll conducted where citizens agreed to USA being a bigger threat to their democracy and freedom, than China would be. Guess what, Hong Kong does rank above USA on the Freedom Index, so there goes your argument.
Why has Assange not been freed in USA, land of the genocide, where he was extradited from UK? Why does Snowden live in arch enemy country of USA? How did Chelsea Manning suddenly become a NATO parrot? How come Daniel Hale suffered so much?
The fact is you love western neoliberal virtue signalling and Anglo supremacy, because you benefit from those atrocities and overseas superimperialist exploitation. Every government is authoritarian, socialists are just honest about it whereas liberals and conservatives are dishonest and malicious. You already are a populist when you parrot neoliberal trash. Kleptocracy probably best applies to USA, considering legalised and even fashionable lobbyist culture, where Europe is a very close second. Bribing and lobbying happens in all countries, but it happens the most in the countries that are on top of the superimperialist capitalist countries which are all Western, considering the transfer of wealth by means of imperialist plundery and loot has always been done by Anglos to East.