Obviously a few years ago, the API changes caused the reddit community mods to strike, and caused a mass-blackout of most reddit core communities. Eventually Reddit removed a handful of mod teams on some notable subreddits and caused the rest to chicken-out. But it did birth the Fediverse properly.
I suspect Reddit will make another step at some point which causes another comparable exodus. This time, if they do, the Fediverse is far better developed to handle it. What do you imagine it might be?
Might be a tactic to get people to lose old historic accounts and start new ones. A good way to bump up the numbers is to ban an account but don’t delete the account, and just let it just sit there. Then the banned person is forced to create a new account if they want back in again.
A common theme I read from banned accounts is that they can’t get in again yet no one said the account was deleted … and the assumption is that the user just gave up the account and restarted a new one.
My account was 15 years old, even had a reply from the famed Keanu Reeves on one of my comments! However, I can sign in to my account, I just can’t comment, upvote, downvote, or post.
I attempted to make a new account but that one got banned as well because they attached the ban to my IP and electronic signatures - which… seems excessive to me hut okay.