People question the user numbers yet ignore the rising number of instances which is non-trivial and hard to fake. The usual bots dont (yet) set up new instances

People question the user numbers yet ignore the rising number of instances which is non-trivial and hard to fake. The usual bots dont (yet) set up new instances. Its not that easy and it costs real money. It wasnt quite clear how serious the reddit event but it seems now more than a blip. Many subs still silent or disable comments because they cant moderate without the tools. The fediverse platforms and overall design have still some way to go but those inroads are vital validation and testing at scale. Remember these are still tiny teams with very limited funding. When the history of social platforms is written they will be hailed as heroes and visionaries long after the lazy comments on HN are forgotten.