I joined lemmy after reddit API changes, as many people did. At first, it was amazing. The community felt so alive, so friendly and welcoming. Obviously, the activity wasn’t exactly as large as it was on reddit, but I was patient, I knew more stuff was coming, and I was excited for it.

Unfortunately, this period would not last long. It would not last even a week until I got into my first argument with a tankie. I saw them and argued with them from time to time on reddit, but people there usually saw right through the bullshit and downvoted them to oblivion.

Here, it was so much different. They were all upvoted and supported by hordes more tankies. Constant genocide denial in China, support for Ruzzia, and somehow, for North Korea.

In retrospect, I should have left then, abandoned lemmy then and there, not really return to reddit, just leave both alone. I would have saved myself some sanity.

But I didn’t, which I regret. I wasted my time here, constantly seeing this bullshit, and sometimes, I didn’t even have the motivation or energy to argue with them.

The amount of genocide denial, dictatorship praising, and insane arguments I’ve seen in a month blew past the amount of this shit I’ve seen on reddit in a fucking decade.

I don’t see the future in this, none whatsoever. Lemmy will be here, but it will always stay a tankie hellhole unless you block thousands of people and whole instances. And if you do, the tankies will always just migrate to other instances to keep spreading hate.

You guys are awesome. Keep doing what you are doing, but I am tired of this bullshit and I am done.

  • PugJesus@lemmy.worldM
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    1 month ago

    It’s nice here on instances which have both Grad and Hexbear blocked. I remember the early days on .world, when Grad was still federated. Those were some high-intensity dipshits.

    Anyway, you do what you need to for your mental health, my guy/gal/nonbinary pal. If ever you change your mind, most of us brainrotted terminally online types will still be here when you come back - and hopefully will have continued to marginalize the tankie fuckwads.

      • PugJesus@lemmy.worldM
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        1 month ago

        Really? I’ve noticed a decline in tankies, at least in the long-term. I remember when World News and Political Memes still had significant tankie contingents. Like, 1/5 comments/votes were tankies. Now it’s more like 1/10.

        • FundMECFSResearch@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          1 month ago

          I like the elevator comparison.

          But I often posts memes that get from a couple hundred to a thousand upvotes, and every time, atleast 15%-20% of my notifications are crazy tankie takes.

        • ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com
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          1 month ago

          You can take a sure bet that a number where just here for the US election cycle. Their job is done so time to move onto the next topic to stoke outrage over.

  • Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    Everytime I see these posts and comments I think:

    “Where???”

    I’ve seen 10 times more people complaining about tankies than actual tankies denying genocide. In fact, I can’t seem to think back to a single instance of someone denying China’s past acts.

    Do you guys go to different instances or do you sort by controversial?

    My issue with lemmy is that it basically become super political (thank you US election for ruining media again).

      • Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        All my political posts are about the us election. When China is mentioned, it’s never positively unless it’s about EVs.

        Could you link me an example by any chance?

          • Grandwolf319@sh.itjust.works
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            1 month ago

            I didn’t mean give me someone’s post history.

            I did a quick look and didn’t find anything that jumps at me.

            It’s okay to have people have different viewpoints or even fridge ones.

            I was more talking about clear examples of someone saying Chinese propaganda AND that having traction.

            There is always the odd comment on every post that seems wrong, that’s why we have downvotes.

            • PugJesus@lemmy.worldM
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              1 month ago

              Looks like some of their recent posts were removed by the mods. There are always more looking to tread as close to denialism as they can by playing “WHATABOUT” games without catching a ban.

              It’s okay to have people have different viewpoints or even fridge ones.

              Yeah, no, I don’t have that take with regards to atrocities or dictatorship apologia.

  • Noel_Skum@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    “…and sometimes, I didn’t even have the motivation or energy to argue with them.”

    May I suggest just ignoring things (words, NOT actions) you don’t agree with? I don’t go to churches / temples / mosques / synagogues etc to yell at believers. I don’t post hunting photos in vegan and veterinarian subs. It takes two to tango.

    In my personal experience I see much less “debatability” coming from (some) .world accounts - but I understand user experience varies massively from person to person.

  • Franconian_Nomad@feddit.org
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    1 month ago

    While I have my run ins with tankies sometimes, I actually don’t think it’s that bad. Join an instance that blocks lemmygrad and hexbear, ignore lemmy.ml or block it too and you’re golden.

    That’s the power of fediverse, it’s flexibility.

    Also tankies have a strong foothold on Lemmy, because they were here first. But they are not as numerous as you or they themself think. Watch them outside of their safespace communities and see them downvoted into oblivion.

    • fartsparkles@sh.itjust.works
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      1 month ago

      The fact you can block an instance where communities reside that you have issues with is incredible!

      It’s like if Reddit gave you a feature to block a subreddit and all the users that subscribed to it in one single action.

      Edit: OP should try creating an account on different instances? For instance on the instance hosting the community that just posted this to…?

      I have several accounts and sh.itjust.works has been doing a stellar job with managing the toxicity from leaking into this instance.

      • Franconian_Nomad@feddit.org
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        1 month ago

        Yes, absolutely! The ability to do that immensely valuable.

        I actually don’t like to use it too much, because I like to see whats going on and don’t want to lock myself into a bubble.

        But my instance is thankfully defederated from lemmygrad and hexbear and I think about blocking .ml too. I think nothing of worse will be lost.

      • OpenStars@piefed.social
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        6 days ago

        Unfortunately it has been plagued by server issues - e.g. it hasn’t shown any picture previews for weeks now. I can’t view its internal community where this is being discussed, but that instance may not be the best to recommend anymore:-(.

        There’s also dubvee.org but it’s regional, and there’s quokk.au but people say that the admin doesn’t respond when asking to make a new account (may have been temporary?). There’s PieFed which looks amazing, but many times I get a Notification but can’t view whatever it’s trying to point at for a variety of many reasons. Finally there’s the Sync and Connect apps for Lemmy, which can block all the users from an instance without needing admin approval (I have not tried either though so can’t speak to their functionality beyond that).

        Though now I see calls for violence from all Lemmy instances so it’s no longer just the big 3.:-(

  • copygirl@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    1 month ago

    That’s the thing with the fediverse. You end up getting instances where certain beliefs are held more strongly. The solution is to go somewhere where those instances are just straight up defederated (or ask your instance admin to do something). This does result in the instances who remain federated seeing less push-back against extremist views.

    On the fediverse you’re more in control of what you’re able to see through your choice of instance, which affects the “all” view, and which comments show up on posts, obviously defederated instances’ comments won’t be there; who you follow or what communities you subscribe to, and your block lists.

    If your instance chose not to do anything about tankie instances (or individual tankie accounts), then that’s on your instance and its admins, not Lemmy as a whole.

  • IcyToes@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    I’m a leftie, but not a tankie. I’m not a fan of autocracy, or defending atrocities. Tankies are misguided but there are many decent communists, even if I do not agree with their views.

    On Reddit, the Overton window is way over to the right. You make the point their posts ste downvoted to oblivion, of course with that, any left wing view us often down voted to oblivian. In a space where it is left leaning, like Lemmy, you don’t get that and you have a more diverse debate. You’ll get liberals over on .world engaging with communists, socialists and tankies. Some can handle a site where left wing views are allowed. Some won’t. You have a block feature where you can block, grad, hexbear and even lemmy.ml if you’re really struggling to digest left views.

    If not, maybe your views are more rightwards than you realise and that bias on reddit is more comfortable. If that is the case, it may be better for you over there.

    I personally don’t get how people cannot understand that people have different views, especially in different countries. I’m left in the UK, a socialist, and sometimes Americans think that is a euthenism for communism because they cannot comprehend that the state can have a role in reducing inequality.

    You highlight that genocide denial is rampant, but I see here people comfortable to be critical of Israel’s treatment of Palestine. I think only some genocides/atrocities you want to see discussed.

    Either way, I hope you find an environment you’re comfortable in. Not everything has to be a battle.

    • Eldritch@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      The genocide denial is very selective. If a “western nation” involved. You’ll generally see widespread near universal condemnation. Should you dare to point out other genocides, historical or contemporary with leninist, Maoist, Stalinist ties. Be ready for strong tonal whiplash. Because apparently it’s only genocide when capitalists do it. When those groups do it, it’s a noble involuntary sacrifice for the proletariat by the benevolent vanguard party.

    • db0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 month ago

      For real. The people who flounce like this complaining about “too many tankies” tend to be right-wingers who are frustrated this is not reddit v2.

      • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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        1 month ago

        Highly disagree, and I know you think likely the same of me for calling out the lefty terrorist simps on here, which you equated with me saying left leaning people to be terrorist simps in your mod log. I borderline view that as potential mod abuse if I’d think you’d lie like that out of bad faith.

  • RatzChatsubo@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    Can someone fill me into what a tankie is? I’m a progressive socialist, so do I fit that category? I’m genuinely in the dark about it

    OP just seems mad that this is a communist safe zone

    • PugJesus@lemmy.worldM
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      1 month ago

      I’m a progressive socialist, so do I fit that category? I’m genuinely in the dark about it

      No. In fact, they would regard progressive socialists as ‘controlled opposition’. Tankies are typically Marxist-Leninists who constantly play apologia for fascist states painted red, like China and North Korea, and will always find some reason why fascist states not even painted red, like Russia, are Good, Actually, because they oppose the West.

  • ShellMonkey@lemmy.socdojo.com
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    1 month ago

    I don’t think I’ve actually blocked any individual for a reason other than being an outright troll in the pure post-2-piss-off sense or a spambot.

    The thing to remember with the extreme left or right is that they’re about as credible as the drunk on the corner ranting and raving about aliens putting mind control chips in their breakfast cereal.

    I’ve engaged with them a bit too much at length occasionally, particularly on former accounts, but often as not it’s for the novelty of a freak show spectacle.

  • rustyfish@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I took a look at your profile and I think they aren’t the actual problem here. I mean, yes. Their dicksucking of dictators is strong. Like, holy shit! Go easy of the slurping, boys!

    But if you waste your time in places where they are dominant, you’re gonna have a bad time no matter what. You should avoid those places or (even better) learn to not give that much of a fuck what others say online. Online communities should not be able to have a significantly negative impact on your mental wellbeing.

    I hope you find a bit of relief. Take care!

  • db0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 month ago

    There’s plenty of instances that block the 2 tankie instances and even .ml. This is a self-inflicted problem.

  • TGhost [She/Her]@lemm.ee
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    1 month ago

    You are a troll, You are the problem,

    Your instance don’t even federate with HB and ML.

    Bye bye.
    Hope never see ya

    • TheFrirish@jlai.lu
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      1 month ago

      This is such a weird type of troll though like we know which instance they’re from so why are they bothered about other instances’ federation?

      What’s the end game here? To paint a bad image of lemmy and get us back on reddit?

      Maybe they just think that Lemmy is just one big website like Reddit which it isn’t.

  • TheFrirish@jlai.lu
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    1 month ago

    Yo Mate don’t take what you see here so seriously, block .ml and stop looking at your phone. You’ll be doing yourself a favour.

    I have been in more arguments here than on reddit but I think it has more to do with the fact that I have a certain attachment to this federated platform.

    I really want it’s model to succeed and when I see toxicity here it hurts way more than when it’s on reddit/Facebook etc…

    A lot of people are here in their own safezone so the moment you disturb someone even so slightly they go berserk.

    it’s hard to respect shitty opinions but it’s best for you to just avoid and block. Real life is stressful enough you don’t need to stress yourself more online.