• Apepollo11@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Lemmy was released as an open-source fediverse alternative to Reddit.

    Just over a year after launch, r/ChapoTrapHouse, moved across after being banned from Reddit. This is likely what you’re referring to. It had well over 100,000 active users on Reddit, so represented a sudden sizable influx of users.

    I’d wager the biggest influx of people by far, though, occurred when Spez upset a majority of mods and many users by banning third party apps.

    People looked for an alternative, and Lemmy was it.

    But why are so many people who lean left politically? Because the Venn Diagram for “people who like the idea of a decentralised platform that supports everybody and is free from the machinations of millionaires”, and “people who would like society that supports everybody and is free from the machinations of millionaires” is nearly a circle.

    • Crackhappy@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      That’s what I thought as well. No ads. No one tracking you. No one profiting off your data. Sounds like leftist ideals to me. Freedom from corporate bullshit.

    • HobbitFoot @thelemmy.club
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      4 months ago

      The developers for Lemmy are also leftist; that the original Lemmy was lemmy.ml speaks to their politics.

      ChapoTrapHouse likely moved here because it was already leftist.

    • Tiefling IRL
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      4 months ago

      There’s also the people who got pushed out by right wing admins/mods. I personally switched after I got banned for saying riot police should quit their jobs en masse following RvW. I still stand by that statement.

    • marcos@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      decentralised platform that supports everybody and is free from the machinations of millionaires

      Hum… Isn’t that part of the “Freedooomm!!!” dreams that comes bundled with minimum state and individual empowerment? I’m pretty sure it is.