It is a subconscious level ad for the utility/value of the platform. You don’t need to be overt about the screenshot containing Lemmy by name. Any subtle details are all that is needed. This is all it takes to attract the most valuable people; simply show them that they are missing out on something useful. It is effective psy ops.
I just think overt idiosyncrasies and exaggerated awkwardness are funny, and greentexts are far and away the best source for both. However, I’d be lying if I said that seeing the community inch toward intolerance, despite every opportunity to stay kind, didn’t cause me to post less.
I’m not surprised.
There will be a day of reckoning for that community and for the instance that hosts it. It’s just a matter of time.