Here's a list of a few .ml communities and potential replacements:

• ask lemmy - !asklemmy@lemm.ee !asklemmy@sh.itjust.works
• linux - !linuxquestions@lemmy.zip !linux@linux.community !linux@programming.dev
• memes* - !memes@sopuli.xyz !memes@slrpnk.net !196@lemmy.blahaj.zone !memes@midwest.social
• programmer humor - !programmer_humor@programming.dev
• world news - !news@beehaw.org !globalnews@lemmy.zip
• technology - !technology@sh.itjust.works
• funny - !funny@sh.itjust.works
• ukraine - !ukraine@sopuli.xyz

Side note the main issue with .ml is transparency. It's fine if the admins of an instance implement whatever rules they want in their instance; however, once they start enforcing hidden rules disguised as violations of the listed rules, they're being liars and treating the users as stupid things to be herded, not as human beings.

EDIT: as people noticed I'm not including .world comms to not encourage even further concentration of activity into the largest instance. Decentralisation is important. Also I'm adding stuff that you guys suggest.

* for specialised memes, as the category is rather large:

• !science_memes@mander.xyz
• !reactionmemes@lemmy.dbzer0.com
• !mathmemes@lemmy.blahaj.zone
• !loweffortmemes@walledgarden.xyz
• !lotrmemes@midwest.social
• !leftymemes@lemmy.dbzer0.com
• !flippanarchy@lemmy.dbzer0.com
• !femcelmemes@lemmy.blahaj.zone
• !fedimemes@feddit.uk

As long as it's not only lemmy.world communities you start growing. Centralization won't lead to good outcomes anywhere.

I criticized the CCP on lemmy.ml and got called racist and got banned lmao

Edit: thank you for the link, Lazycog@sopuli.xyz!

https://lemmy.ml/modlog?page=1&actionType=All&userId=2602275

I stand by every single comment that's been removed from this platform. Some of them were removed for good reason, one of them was a brain fart that I shouldn't have posted in the first place, but I'm happy to have y'all investigate my moderation history

ETA: If you read this, and then replied to a comment that's already been removed from a community I'm banned from, you're an idiot. I literally can't interact with you. Why not reply to this comment?

your "boycott" was already happening naturally because (ayk) lemmy.ml's mods are insufferable

Listen. Just fuckin listen to me. The moment I joined lemmy every enthusiast was singing praise to the fediverse and how it's easy to maintain the freedom of speach and yada yada yada. What it turned out to be is just constant quarrels between instances, defederations and crap like that while lemmy still fucking struggles to even become a mere shadow of reddit. I fucking hate reddit, I think spez should be covered in fire ants, but by god, looking at how insufferable most vocal lemmy users are, I may get back to reddit, probably as many other lemmy users already did.

"We should defederate from everything which does not agree with my .world view and create a giant centralized echo chamber"!

Why the fuck does every .world user suddenly want Lemmy to be Reddit?

I don't think the meme makes sense. The ml users don't seem to care how much other content is out there. They still participate as much as they'd like.

Join me

Can someone inform me about what's wrong with lemmy.ml?

I like the idea of growing non-ml community, however, I wish larger instances do not block ML. Otherwise, they would just move to lemmy.ee or lemmy.one, just like how they moved from hexbear and grad to ml.

It is great tankies got their own place where they can be happy, but I really don't want to interact with them. I am emotional about issues they engage in, and emotional me is usually not the nicest version of myself.

Social media is one of the few ways I can relax for couple hours per week outside of my job, and I really don't want my social media experience to go full investigative journalism.

honestly, I eventually got fed up enough and instance blocked .ml on my account a couple weeks ago, and Ive barely noticed a difference. It was the bulk of lemmy right after it started to get some migration from Reddit, but it isnt nearly as essential these days already

Now what's the juicy backstory to this drama?

I only follow some .ml communities for the only thing that instance is good for: Memes making fun of neoliberals

lemmy.ml users reaction:

Another day of .world reddit migrants thinking de-federating or boycotting .ml will change literally anything.

https://sh.itjust.works/c/meanwhileongrad

Here is a nice community that keeps track of their bullshit