Commented on another thread - Rising costs, inflation, stagnant wages, a pandemic, and the specter of Long COVID. Not to mention that the country is so relentlessly polarized that nearly everyone I know is reluctant to let anyone new into their circle for fear of learning that new person has been duped into supporting literal fascist Nazis. We’re exhausted and we don’t want to argue all the time.

With Cheeto Benito and the Brown Shirts in office, there’s a palpable tension in nearly every interaction right now. It’s only going to get worse, until eventually we will either have to start socializing in the form of local community organizing or we’ll rapidly find that we no longer have a hope of a future for ourselves.

For a nation typically sitting firmly in dumb, fat, and happy territory, this is a level of existentialism that none of us are accustomed to. Unless of course you’re Black or maybe Latino, in which case you probably know what’s up.

Expert level sounding.

I think the barrier to entry also helps a bit. The folks willing to put up with the rough edges that Lemmy has are also likely willing to participate with the intent of making Lemmy a success rather than just “hangers on” as it were. With a 1600% growth in “active” user population, there are definitely a ton of lurkers, yet. Once it becomes more approachable, we’ll see if the community feeling that Lemmy has begins to tarnish and fade as the volume of interaction and content rises.