Nazis thrive on diluting language—twisting words like “freedom” and “patriotism” to serve their agenda. Ironically, the same thing happens when “Nazi” gets thrown around carelessly. Mislabeling people weakens the term, but so does refusing to acknowledge real extremists. Precision matters—both in calling out threats and in resisting linguistic manipulation.
Skepticism and awareness don’t require absolute certainty—they require recognizing patterns, weighing evidence, and applying critical thinking. Intelligence agencies, cybersecurity experts, and investigative journalists don’t operate with perfect knowledge of every individual actor; they analyze behaviors, tactics, and known strategies to assess likely influence operations. That’s exactly what I’m doing here.
What’s not up for debate is whether bad actors are present in online spaces. There is overwhelming, verifiable evidence that state-backed influence campaigns, misinformation networks, and coordinated propaganda efforts exist and are active on most notable social platforms. This isn’t speculation; it’s been extensively documented by cybersecurity researchers, investigative journalists, and intelligence agencies across multiple countries. The only real question is to what extent they are influencing a given conversation on Lemmy in particular, not whether they are here at all.
Dismissing these concerns simply because I can’t produce a list of every bot and handled account is shortsighted. That’s like saying misinformation campaigns don’t exist unless you can personally name every individual behind them. The research I shared—along with extensive documentation from reputable sources—makes it clear that these operations exist. Ignoring that reality doesn’t make it go away.
You keep labeling this discussion as “spreading FUD” without engaging with the substance of the argument. But dismissing any discussion of manipulation tactics as paranoia actually discourages people from critically assessing how online spaces are influenced. If you disagree with my conclusions, that’s fine. But refusing to acknowledge the undeniable presence of organized misinformation efforts while insisting that discussing them is somehow harmful only serves to shut down necessary discourse.
Pointing out patterns of manipulation isn’t the same as accusing individuals of bad faith. Influence operations are well-documented, and recognizing when engagement follows known tactics is about awareness, not personal attacks. If someone is engaging in good faith, discussing these concerns shouldn’t be an issue. Still, I believe it’s more prudent to acknowledge and warn others about the presence of bad actors on the platform than to ignore the reality that they exist.
I’m advocating for awareness and critical thinking, not paranoia. The New York Times article I shared outlines how influence operations have grown more sophisticated, with bots and handled accounts leveraging LLMs to mimic real engagement while derailing or inflaming discussions. Recognizing these tactics isn’t about dismissing individuals—it’s about understanding patterns of manipulation that have been well-documented. Identifying bad-faith engagement isn’t an ad hominem attack; it’s a necessary part of critical discourse. If you disagree, that’s fine, but ignoring the issue doesn’t make it disappear.
I wish I didn’t have to be skeptical, but sadly I do. If you read the article I shared, it outlined how insidious foreign influence campaigns can be.
For example, in 2019, 19 of Facebook’s top 20 pages for American Christians were run by Eastern European troll farms.
That’s just one example of many. We all need to be hyper vigilant.
I said “I’ve noticed” which is anecdotal, but others have shared similar experiences with me. That along with the well documented interference campaigns, it’s not a stretch to draw the same conclusion here on Lemmy.
Did you read the article I shared by chance?
There are bots on here too. I’ve noticed a lot of handled accounts that will reply consistently with pro Russian propaganda. Some may be bots, but others are handled. Either way, the goals are the same.
You sadly can’t escape it these days.
No matter where you go, it’s best to be aware and double check sources.
I’m working on transitioning to using They/Them pronouns for everyone since they’re completely neutral and fit every context. If your preference is Xe/Xem, I respect that—but unfortunately, my brain just doesn’t have the bandwidth to keep track of multiple pronouns consistently. You get They/Them.
Sync is an application that originally was designed to browse Reddit on Android. When Reddit destroyed 3rd party access, Sync was redesigned for Lemmy. 
I followed Reddit Sync to Lemmy during the API fiasco. Even then, it was better than reddit had been in years. It’s only gotten better.
The moderation practices on that subreddit have created an environment where dissenting opinions are swiftly and permanently banned. This approach has fostered an echo chamber where only one perspective is allowed to thrive, reinforcing a cycle of confirmation bias and groupthink. As a result, most conservative posts lack depth and often resemble oversimplified memes rather than meaningful discourse.
Even when an opposing viewpoint manages to slip through, it’s often dismissed as artificial or the work of bots. This mindset reveals how deeply entrenched their worldview has become—so much so that they struggle to believe that differing opinions could be genuine. It’s a surreal and unfortunate dynamic that stifles any chance of productive discussion.
That subreddit is an absolute dumpster fire of stupidity.
I jumped on board with the reddit API fiasco. I use Sync primarily since I’m familiar with the format and I browse and post often.
I think one problem is that it’s confusing to your average Joe. I honestly still don’t quite understand how it works. I see posts like .ml and .world and I have no idea what they are even though I’ve been here a while.
Animal Well was the best game I played this year and it was made by one dude who built his own engine.
Balatro is a close second with the best soundtrack. The Dev bought it on Fiverr.
Hah! I read that the guy who coined it regrets that he named it that. It stands for retrieval augmented generation. Is essentially ctrl-v. For example, instead of just asking it a question about a topic, feed it an entire course’s worth of text and notes on the topic and then ask it a question.
RAG is still the most reliable method for increasing accuracy and giving you the means of checking your sources.
My wife and I unsubscribed a few months back. I’ve not noticed.
Chairs are one of those things that you need to drop serious money on if you sit more than a few hours a day. Focus on chairs for office work and expect to pay over $1k.
What? Are you talking about a potato ricer?
One button. Endless possibilities.