Sorry (🍁) we did this without making a post, but after receiving several complaints we defederated from hexbear.net yesterday.

Here’s a few quick examples of poor conduct by hexbear users:

They warned their users to behave themselves, but that didn’t work: https://hexbear.net/post/280770?scrollToComments=false

Please read and respect the rules of the community instance in which you are posting/commenting. Please try to keep the dirtbag lib-dunking to hexbear itself. Do not follow the Chapo Rules of Posting, instead try to engage utilizing informed rhetoric with sources to dismantle western propaganda. Posting the western atrocity propaganda and pig poop balls is hilarious but will pretty quickly get you banned and if enough of us do it defederated. Realize that you are a representative of the hexbear instance when you post on other instances.

  • Rob Bos@lemmy.caEnglish
    6·
    1 year ago

    I noticed a few of them posting Russian propaganda the other day. Nothing of value was lost.

    • Murvel@lemm.eeEnglish
      51·
      1 year ago

      They absolutely do. They are freaks of nature.

      Essentially communists who support the war crimes committed in Ukriane and the idea of Russian imperialism since it somehow in their twisted little minds equates to a Soviet Union born again.

      Wrap your head around that.

      • astral_avocado@programming.devEnglish
        4·
        1 year ago

        I still just don’t understand why they defend Russia or China, I don’t think there’s a single state mechanism you can point to that’s truly functionally communistic.

        • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.caEnglish
          3·
          1 year ago

          They get it into their heads that they’re smarter than everyone else because they have views that aren’t popular, and shut out any evidence that their views might just be wrong and actively harmful.

    • LoopingRiver@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      That and “look at the full video of the ‘tank man’ he obviously survived and nothing happened that day!”

  • lazylion_ca@lemmy.caEnglish
    61·
    1 year ago

    I browsed a bit there. All I saw was trolls planning to troll. They won’t be missed.

    Federation is working.

      • MapleEngineer@lemmy.caEnglish
        31·
        1 year ago

        I hope the admins on those raided instances are more effective than the admins on hexbear were.

      • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.caEnglish
        31·
        1 year ago

        Oh, they already are raiding and brigading. Take a look at any post remotely mentioning China, Russia or Ukraine on lemmy.ml or any other instance still federated with them. 90% of the comments will be Hexbear users trolling, harassing people or spreading disinformation, shutting out any real discussion.

  • 'M' as in 'MANCY'@lemmy.caEnglish
    4·
    1 year ago

    Good work! Thank you. Hexbear users are trolls. They’re not in it for discussion in good faith. I’ve blocked a few offenders here and there but honestly I think the culture there is so toxic that we’re better off not being federated with them.

    • randint@lemm.eeEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      100% agree that they are trolls. They flood any China news posts (that’s not on lemmy.world) with a truckload of pro-China comments, taking advantage of the fact that a sizeable portion of Lemmy users won’t be able to see and downvote them. Whenever someone replies to them with well-thought-out arguments supporting “the western authoritarians,” half of them replies with huge and ugly emojis, while the other half parrots more Chinese propaganda (that actually sound well-written if you disregard the fact that China is an oppressive regime).

      • BlemboTheThird@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        I just moved instances because my old favorite has so far refused to defederate. I’m willing to deal with the idiot takes, the trolling, the nonsense sources that are almost always youtube videos, and their impressive ability to both support and denounce authoritarianism in the same breath. It’s important for me to look at propaganda from multiple perspectives so that I can try to think through it and understand where other people are coming from. But 99% of the time they don’t even express real opinions; they just flood posts they don’t like with obnoxious images. Just for that, I’d take Lemmygrad over Hexbear any day of the week

  • Preußisch Blau@lemmy.caEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    Their post about our defederation is absolutely unhinged, I must say – top keks if you can handle reading it. Seriously, though, I am quite shocked at the amount of vitriol on their instance; being a leftist myself, I don’t really understand the point of being mean to everyone that they would presumably want to help via their politics.

    “Oh, you live in a Western country and are subject to late-stage capitalist horrors? Let me save you – wait, you don’t agree with me? Then go screw yourself, good luck in the revolution.”

    Certainly education would be the solution, overcome the Stockholm syndrome?

    Oh well, good riddance.

    • pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      They genuinely believe the dumb shit they say. Successfully indoctrinated cultists ready to be pulled by their puppet strings by anyone with the savvy and the need/desire

      • EhForumUser@lemmy.caEnglish
        01·
        1 year ago

        They genuinely believe the dumb shit they say.

        It is unlikely that anyone believes what they say, as why would you waste time talking about something you believe in? You already believe it. Your mind has been made. There is absolutely nothing more that can be said. Discussion is only interesting when you can learn something new, which means exploring the things you don’t (yet) believe in.

        There is good reason why every comment isn’t: “Hay guys, did you know that 1+1=2!?!?” – something you no doubt believe in. What are you going to learn by bringing it up again and again? Not much. There is no value in exploring what you believe.

        When someone says something, they are seeking more information to validate an idea they have. With sufficient validation the idea brought forward may transform into a belief, but that transition requires exploration. Talk is how we explore ideas.

        If you watch people, the pattern becomes quite apparent: Once something becomes a belief, interest is lost, and the talk about that subject will fade. They move on to something new that they want to find validation in. Sometimes people will get stuck on an idea that isn’t believable. This is where you find conspiracy theorists and the like, where people build up a whole persona around an idea that they keep failing to validate.

          • EhForumUser@lemmy.caEnglish
            01·
            1 year ago

            Well, no, I’m not settled on it. It is an idea, but it has not made it to belief status. I’m talking about it, after all. If it were a belief, what value proposition would there be in such an exchange?

            • pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyzEnglish
              1·
              1 year ago

              You clearly think there is value in it, because you believe in it, want me to believe it too, and you are trying to convince me it’s right. If you wanted to convince yourself, you wouldn’t be talking, you’d be meditating. Yet here you are, arguing with me about it.

              It’s okay for people to believe what they say. Whatever it is you think will be true if people believe what they say but don’t want to be true, it doesn’t matter. Someday you’ll see that.

              • EhForumUser@lemmy.caEnglish
                01·
                1 year ago

                and you are trying to convince me it’s right.

                I’m not sure I see the logic in that. Of what value would there be in convincing you that it is right? I have no agency over your brain. It means nothing to me. I wouldn’t try to convince a stone that I am right and the only difference between you and a stone is that you can speak back, hopefully offering knowledge when you do.

                It’s okay for people to believe what they say.

                It’s okay, but what’s the value proposition? It takes work to say things. The brain expects payment for the work it does. Knowledge can be sufficient payment, but if you have a belief no more knowledge can be acquired. It is final. I’m not receiving cash, a hug, anything. So, what is it that I have overlooked?

    • DerisionConsulting@lemmy.caEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      Preußisch

      Prussian Blue being used as a user by someone also saying “top keks” rings the same for me as it does for @JennySmiles@kbin.social

      The Leuchter report was an inaccurate study that was trying to disprove that there were gas chambers at Auschwitz, to try to help Nazis in court. It did this by claiming that because there wasn’t any Prussian blue, that there couldn’t’ve been cyanide in the chambers/showers, since Prussian Blue contains cyanide.
      This is like saying that because you don’t have a cake, your kitchen has never had an eggs.

      But of course, when the walls of were tested cyanide was found.

      • Preußisch Blau@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Can’t believe I need to say this but yes the Holocaust happened, and it was bad.

        Prussian blue is also used in medicine, did you know that? I am a pharmacy student. There’s quite a few reasons I like the name. Holocaust denial is not one of them. I also watched the Myles Power video.

        Also I’ll never understand why non-rightoids can’t use kek, it comes from Korean to English via WoW.

        • DerisionConsulting@lemmy.caEnglish
          01·
          1 year ago

          Not sure who Myles Powers is, but I am glad that you’re not a garbage person.

          The reason why non-rightoids don’t use “top kek” is because it’s from 4chan. “kek” is from Wow, but “top kek” isn’t.

          Much like other phrases and symbols (like the Celtic cross, odal rune, swastika), once the racists use it to identify themselves, the non-racists shy away from using it.

      • JennySmiles@kbin.social
        01·
        1 year ago

        Thanks for your posts. Sadly OP is not listening and is only trying to deflect (and defend 4chan implicitly). But at least some other people might be more cautious about them now. Since they are at most an early 20s student makes clear why they are so jovial about those things.

    • JennySmiles@kbin.social
      01·
      1 year ago

      top keks

      being a leftist myself

      preussischblau

      liking military history

      X: [Doubt]

      None of your comments within the last 2 month point into any direction like that.

      Just a warning Preußisch Blau, the colour and name, is mostly used by what in the US would be Alt-Right people who try to link themselves to the German Empire (sometimes as substitute for the Nazi regime). Using 4chans kek hints at you being aware of that.

      If you want to educate yourself and really are German as you claim you can visit our museum to learn more.

      • Preußisch Blau@lemmy.caEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Firstly, there is no need to warn me and be all condescending. Secondly, there are many reasons I like the name; military history is indeed one of them, but that does not mean I worship the historical nation of Prussia – I am not a monarchist. Thirdly, I do not live in the US and couldn’t care less about people who think American politics are global politics. Fourth, I do not need to constantly do a song and dance online to be a leftist. Fifth, kek comes to English from Korean via WoW and rightoids do not have a monopoly on language.

        “If you want to educate yourself and really are German as you claim you can visit our museum to learn more.” What museum? What do I need to be educated on?

  • init@lemmy.mlEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    I might have to make a new account here. I made a comment and then edited it to address a Q_Anon adjacent hexbear user that replied to me. It’s really strange. They say they are extreme leftists on their sidebar, but their politics are anti-Western, which puts them essentially with NK, China, and Russia, which are an authoritarian brand of communist or fascist that prosecutes and imprisons trans, LGBTQ+, etc,.

    At this point I think they are simply trying to get reactions and shit stir for lulz. Getting told I should die because I corrected a Hexbear’s use of misinformation is surreal. I never thought an extreme Leftist or five would openly and brazenly support a regime that literally made supporting LGBTQ+ stuff a crime only a year or two ago. It’s wild.

    • Riven@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      Yea they’re insane. They brigade any post about China or Russia to defend them with some whataboutism and anyone who dares oppose them gets called a bigot because they pretend to be LGBT friendly. Just look at some of the pronouns they choose to use. I understand some people might prefer more unique pronouns like ze/zem and whatnot and that’s fine but they’re just straight up trolling by using stuff like comrade/tank giving our LGBT friends a bad name. Its more obvious they’re trolls because they defend very anti LGBT countries while pretending to belong to the community.

    • pinkdrunkenelephants@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      They are, who we call tankies. Propaganda spreading scumbags here to wreck communities and cause discord and chaos for Russia and China among other countries trying to wreak havoc. They’re doing it because of the Ukraine war. Block them and do not use instances that federate with them.

    • JennySmiles@kbin.social
      01·
      1 year ago

      Edit after having looked into it: init is a liar, they are a US soldier and were attacked for that reason, more in the next comments

      Which Q Anon adjacent user? Link would be nice, if you are speaking truthful it would great if you could do a link, but name is fine, too.

      Most leftists are anti-Western, has to do with the US’s hegemonial role during the Cold War and its support of genocide, murder, torture and violence against socialist sympathizers and coups i.e. in South America. As the Jakarta Method describes well.

      Getting told I should die because I corrected a Hexbear’s use of misinformation is surreal.

      Do you have a link for that as well?

        • JennySmiles@kbin.social
          11·
          1 year ago

          Then you are a liar, which is common for US soldiers.

          You being a soldier is the reason the people flung those things at you. Which is more understandable, judging the actions of US and Canadian troops in Iraq as example.

          I just want you to know as a member us military I hope you lose everything and end up drunk and homeless without ever being able to sleep. I’m glad that this is statistically likely.

          Is also quite clear that it is about the job you do. It is funny how a literal US military government employee influences the discussion on de-federation without that being a relevant point.

          Collateral damage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYTxuW2vmzk (which you are not allowed to watch, since that would breach your regulations) Shows civilians being targeted.

          • JennySmiles@kbin.social
            11·
            1 year ago

            Even more:

            Your link did also not show me the user is related to Q in any way. This again makes you a propagandist.

            They say they are extreme leftists on their sidebar, but their politics are anti-Western, which puts them essentially with NK, China, and Russia

            This is a common US military talking point, which you being a US soldier fits well. Equating anti-Westernism with “horrible regimes” (that is the dogwhistle you use) would mean that most academics and political scientists are supporting North Korea? You are a shill, one literally paid by the US military’s intelligence.

  • ArxCyberwolf@lemmy.caEnglish
    2·
    1 year ago

    You made the right decision. Hexbear users aren’t here to discuss anything in good faith, they’re here to brigade and harass. That’s all I’ve seen from them ever since they federated.

    • IronKrill@lemmy.caEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      I checked out the instance and at least half the comments on federation posts were just plotting how to annoy other communities, not splitting their “force” too wide, and taking bets on how long until they’re defederated. Not worth our time.

  • Jordan Lund@lemmy.oneEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    I said this in the last thread announcing defederation from them…

    Freedom of speech doesn’t mean an obligation to listen.

    Good for you! I saw some of their posts pop up in my feed and had to block them too. Just too much edgelord stupidity.

  • I Cast Fist@programming.devEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Not directly affected here (i’m at a different instance), but it’s pretty easy to spot their users, they behave like it’s 4chan or some shit discord server, stickers everywhere. No wonder reasons 2 and 3 are spot on.

    Posting (…) pig poop balls is hilarious

    Only if you’re a fucking idiot

  • jerkface@lemmy.caEnglish
    1·
    1 month ago

    I have been visiting hexbear recently. I have discovered that there is a great deal of content there that is important to me and that I have been “protected” from. It’s clearly a legitimate instance with a dedicated administration team. The Lemmiverse is moving fast and changing dramatically. Would @Shadow@lemmy.ca, @smorks@lemmy.ca, et al consider reviewing this decision now that it is about a year later?

    • Shadow@lemmy.caOPMEnglish
      2·
      1 month ago

      Always open to reconsidering things. Can you give some examples of the content you’re missing?

      Tbh when I go look at their local feed it just seems like all shitposts

      • jerkface@lemmy.caEnglish
        2·
        1 month ago

        For example, c/food is the best general population food forum I’ve ever seen for my particular needs. A lot of the non-vegan parts of the site is not just tolerant but considerate to vegans. That’s frigging unheard of. I don’t know what the big deal with shit posters is, but that is hardly the only or defining feature of the culture.

        I feel like if you wade into a community you’re not a member of and don’t understand looking for shit posts, a lot of things are going to look like shit posts.

  • Troy@lemmy.caEnglish
    21·
    1 year ago

    I’ve mixed feelings about this. But I support the admins, generally, and will assume they are acting in good faith.

    This is sort of like an email provider getting their domain blacklisted. Yes, it hurts some legitimate users, but they are a source of spam and crap and the nuclear option is legitimate.

    • some_guy@kbin.social
      1·
      1 year ago

      You are welcome to hop on over to any instance that isn’t defederated or even hexbear itself!

      If you have mixed feelings about removing these pieces of trash, you’re either a piece of trash too or a useful idiot.