“Unfortunately that formula can be easily replicated so really it was just a matter of time before similar alternatives popped up.”

I disagree on the unfortunate part. I think it’s good that alternatives are easy to make. That means I don’t have to put up with the shenanigans to have the type of forum I’ve enjoyed.

I’m currently starting out on Lemmy.world, any reason to switch over?

I agree that cult mindset or psychosis is what she has going on. But suddenly removing the source from her computer without her knowledge could backfire because she’s already so invested.

Hmm, links to pictures elsewhere seems like it would be less work for the computer running the instance.

As you plan on messing with her feed, I’d like to warn you that a sudden change in her recommendations could seem to her like the whole internet got censored and she can’t see the truth anymore. She would be cut off from a sense of community and a sense of having special inside knowledge, and that may make things worse rather than better.

My non-proffessional prediction is that she would get bored with nothing to worry about and start actively seeking out bad news to worry over.

Do people running servers have any options for limiting the amount of pictures and video that users upload to their instance?

Having text-only communities sounds like a good way to attract the right people and be an unattractive option for people who just want max content.

Sounds like something that will cause a split later down the line.