Post #4509234

2026-08-09 02:35 UTC

Counterpoint: those will happen naturally and don’t need planning. Sometimes those are fraught with frustration though. Like I remember really enjoying discussions with the highly controversial user FlyingSquid, who left Lemmy at least a year ago. My discussions were about Star Trek, and I had already blocked all politics themed communities as well as the largest meme ones. It turned out that within the politics sphere, he seems to have shown a bit of a different side of his personality to people who tried to post in the communities that he modded. Was he right? Are all the people decrying against him - many of whom I note are often proven liars in other matters - right? Actually truth is significantly more complex than that, plus not having delved in depth I honestly and truly do not know (though suspect a bit of both). And people say likewise about PugJesus too. I was never on the receiving end of his wrath either - perhaps I never could be, since my aim is truth and he wouldn’t have to be firm as I would literally welcome correction where needed? But now he is gone too. Most of the people that I enjoyed speaking with the most are either gone, or comment far less frequently than they used to. Or in different communities. A lot of the communities that I do frequent the most - among those that still exist anyway - have barely anyone who comments at all. I tend to avoid the largest ones (I make an exception for this one we are in now due to the subject matter), bc that is where the toxicity is highest. But then the niche communities barely exist at all… e.g. !ask_experienced_devs@programming.dev has only had one post in the last 4 months, !bestofthefediverse@lemmy.ca, oops that one seems to have died a year ago already, so I just unsubscribed, the last post in !dankmemes@lemmy.world was 2 months ago, oops I just noticed several places I am subscribed in were on lemm.ee so obviously those are defunct now, the last post in !dogsincostumes@lemmy.world was 8 months ago, one of my absolute favorites was !nathanwpyle@lemmy.world, but the only post other than one asking the content creator where he went was again from 8 months ago, and so on. There’s also just a WHOLE BUNCH of communities that have next to zero comments in them - maybe they are bot posts that people prefer to block? e.g. !publichealth@mander.xyz. Others are not quite as often fully zero but are still less than 5 per post, like !fediverse_vs_disinfo@lemmy.dbzer0.com, !globalnews@lemmy.zip, and every single poetry community I can find across the entire Threadiverse. Don’t get me wrong, some people like ThePicardManeuver and LadyButterfly are holding up a good half of the Threadiverse by super posting to many many communities. But people used to say the same about FlyingSquid and also PugJesus as well. Like see this old appreciation post: feddit.org/post/3602869. So anyway, you aren’t wrong, but it’s not as simple as that, when a good fraction of the communities here keep turning into ghost towns, and those that remain are either the largest, which again attracts the most controversial crowds, or else super super tiny. But I do enjoy talking with you wherever I see you:-).

Replies (1)

@JohnnyEnzyme@piefed.social 2026-08-09 03:32

one of my absolute favorites was !nathanwpyle@lemmy.world, but the only post other than one asking the content creator where he went was again from 8 months ago, and so on. Yeap, and notice what I recommended back then to the person complaining right there, and notice how nobody seemed to take my advice..? Rinse, wash, repeat? Which echoes something I’ve pointed out many times (I think actually in this very discussion, but earlier?), which is that the body of FV users seem to have the non-sustainable idea that they don’t actually have to do anything on their part to help contribute in a positive manner to FV appreciation and content. Unfortunately, I find that such an utterly casual, nincompoop sort of belief that naturally it degrades everything it touches, to the ultimate detriment of said FV. I could also give you a million specific examples of such, but as someone in relentless pain, nursing a terminal disease, I’m not specifically-aiming to write a novel with each comment. PJ was in a similar boat, and I feel like that should be understood and respected. FlyingSquid’s work on “Out of Context Comics” was awesome to my mind, but despite whatever toxicity he was a part of, I understand that he was in a rough life-situation during his time here. So anyway, you aren’t wrong, but it’s not as simple as that Of course it’s not as simple as that, my dear OpenStars, but what I said sufficiently fit the context of the situation, and again I’m not here to write a novel every bloody post. The fact is that what I was getting at was moreso a small aspect, or perhaps the tip of, yon iceberg(s). Communities founded with naive eagerness, then relatively-quickly abandoned are something I’ve been weighing-in on for years upon now, mate. So I appreciate the examples, but you’re preaching to the choir. All part of why I feel like my pledge-posting project might help out with things, just that I’ve been in and out of the hospital to the extent that it’s gotten side-tracked, lately. But if you scroll through my comments, you’ll see the concept pop up from time to time. Anyway, cheers mate!

Open ##4509233