Thank you for your efforts to keep this place clean and civil, and especially for the transparency in describing how you’ve dealt with such annoyances. You have my respect.

Think of Bolsonaro as a tropical caricature of whiny Donald, and you’ll get the picture.

A day to celebrate! Bolsonaro is a mediocre politician whose insignificant contribution could earn him a rightful reputation as Brazil’s worst president. His disastrous tenure served no purpose other than cloning a Trump-like management and paving the way for his reelection. He has made Brazilian society even more divisive, intolerant and hateful. His infamous contributions include:

• Discrediting vaccination (COVID -19 especially).
• Promoting intolerance towards LGBTQ+.
• Encouraging everyone to own guns.
• Closing incentives for arts and culture.
• Promoting deforestation of a large part of the Amazon jungle.
• Ignoring the pleas of Indians for food and medical assistance.
• Undermining the credibility of the electoral system.
• Neglecting Brazil’s diplomatic relations.
• Poisoning relations with the press.
• Attempting a coup d’état to overthrow President-elect Lula.

These are just a few highlights of a long list of misdeeds that define him as an unsympathetic jerk. I know that may sound like a lot, but as you get to know this character, you will probably be tempted to add some additional notes to the above list.-

Not for any particular reason, but for a variety of reasons that work together to make it even better. I have listed just a few of them. Feel free to add to the list as you see fit.

• No king of the hill.
• No hidden corporate interests.
• No karma system.
• Rejection of toxicity. The flow of conversation is civil and has a good vibe.
• The Federation functions as an engine of accountability.
• A bunch of people who actively contribute to making this a good place.
• A vocal community that actually determines what content is important.
• The initial difficulty to make sense of it all (call it a “barrier to entry” if you will) acts as a natural deterrent to those who are less engaged.
• Lurkers who sign up quickly feel comfortable posting.
• The ability to sign up for a particular instance and leave if for some reason you find it’s going in a direction you do not agree with. Lemmy’s decentralized nature saves the day.
• The influx of refugees includes experienced people with a lot of knowledge to make this an even better place.
• The prospect of a quick release of reputable third-party apps. Since these developers bring solid knowledge from previous developments, their new Lemmy apps will immediately translate into a smoother user experience.

I am looking forward to great days ahead.

True. The sense of anticipation of a new home in which to settle seems genuine. Also, I agree that a smaller group where users actually read the posts and interact with each other validates the purpose of investing the time to share one’s views with people who are actually interested.

I suspect that one of the reasons Lemmy’s texts are longer, meatier, and more thoughtful is the age of the users. My gut tells me that we’re an older audience that doesn’t need to dump the usual social media BS - hasty comments filled with unsubstantiated arguments. Everyone has an opinion and should be heard and respected. As a Reddit refugee, I feel Lemmy provides such space, and that’s what I enjoy most. Like many others whose profiles match mine, once you get past the initial confusion (where should I register, what app should I use, where can I comment) and get comfortable with the jargon, you feel more encouraged to participate in discussions. So far, I’ve been pleased with the civil environment of the discussions, as most users are able to express their thoughts in a relaxed and non-toxic manner. Honestly, I’d encourage anyone who has been just lurking to participate and share their thoughts.