Honestly I'm not sure where best to discuss this but I've been seeing a crazy rise in astroturfing lately.
A couple examples I've found that are boggling my mind: Antivirus https://old.reddit.com/r/GettingOverItGame/comments/165kgw7/best_antivirus_reddit_recommends_in_2023_for/ Here is a niche gaming subreddit crosspost of a post on a user whose posts are kinda... sus? They all seem like shit copy written by AI.
I mean who says
Reddit, with its vast user-driven content and unfiltered opinions, is a goldmine for genuine reviews. If you're searching for the best antivirus Reddit users vouch for in 2023, you're in the right place.
Hella questionable.
And the links? 1: removed post. 2: Links thru some redirecter that are all to the two VPNs being advertised by the post.
I mean it's obviously an advertisement just from the fact that only the two shilled services are linked to.
Another example: https://old.reddit.com/r/Spyware/comments/159e2te/what_is_the_best_antivirus_of_2023/
Same products. Same links to only the shilled products. There's also links to trustpilot but I did a bit of digging and it seems that they're like yelp in that you can get reviews removed? sigh.
What I find interesting here is the fact that this spyware subreddit is new and tiny, and one of the moderators made this veryyyyy similar AI post.
I mean it even has almost the exact same "Other Subreddits to _____ Antivirus Software" section.
Frankly I'm wondering if I should break the links just so they don't get extra weight on search engines.
I've also seen tons of sock puppet accounts for crappy dating apps, but honestly I'm more of a lurker and I've ran out of energy to write anything else here 😌
I think I found the cause of the issue.
You are still visiting reddit.com
Stop that and this will all be sorted.
Pretty much the only reason I still visit reddit is because there was in the past been such a wealth of genuine discussion. Like if I wanted to get the inside facts of "what's the best mayonaise" I could find it on r/mayo posted 4 years ago.
Lemmy is still a bit lacking in that regard, though I'm sure it will come soon enough.
The best mayo is the one that you whisk at home, using one raw yolk and one cooked yolk (yup). Mash them well together, add a bit of veg oil (just a bit! 1tbsp each time), whisk furiously, repeat until you have the desired amount (~~2 girls for 1 cup~~ 2 yolks for 1 cup of oil seems sensible for me). Then finish off with some salt and a healthy amount of vinegar (it's important to avoid bacteria).
Done. Now you can find "what's the best mayonnaise" in Lemmy too!
I'm half-joking with the above (you mentioned mayo as an example, not the point). I agree with your point - Lemmy will miss that sort of knowledge for some time, while Reddit is drowning itself in a sea of noise.
If you want to replicate store-bought mayo:
It won't get identical but it'll get closer in texture and taste. And colour if you use more water.
I just had to double check I wasn't in /c/mayo.
Sorry - I went a bit overboard with the off-topic. Don't tell the jannies of this comm. /s
Sure, your mayo tips is safe with us!