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.
That’s not true. The userbase has remained steady since July of last year. There are some up and down swings with posts, but some of it is seasonal, and some of it is just the normal up and down swings of a service. We’ll expect more users and posts as Spez continues to fuck up Reddit, and make it hostile to its users.
I’ve seen those numbers but they do not match real engagement.