The story would be much more interesting if you were to name names and give all the details. The Who’s who of the Hive control gang. AFter all, bullying a cancer patient fighting for his life is about as low as one can go. They go pretty low; I just got introduced to having my entire (5) active posts downvoted simply for talking to the ‘wrong’ bloke, leaving a comment on a post, someone who was himself targeted for talking to the ‘wrong’ fellow, you surely know who, he is one of the biggest targets with a 6 month downvote spree against his postings. Me on the other hand, although used to frequent downvotes by others in the ‘gang’ (I can only presume based upon vote history they are in this together, maybe they just have similar ideals), was not personally familiar with this azircon fellow, other than knowing his history of decimating lucylin posts. Well now I am, and it is psychotic, and I can only imagine he was one of the unnamed of your story.
Oh and it is not ‘decentralized’ when all the power lies in the hands of a few. It only has the appearance of decentralization. It is unchecked crony capitalism (not a free market), pure and simple, just like this country, the farthest thing from true freedom. And it is dying, and they seem not to see that it is they who are killing it, and their stake that will plummet when the market implodes, and it will, or will become another Big Tech wannabe echo chamber. Either way, not a place for so many of those who were attracted to this place for the freedom and potential growth it promised to offer.
Tyranny comes in many forms, usually masked by facade of freedom, and will always reign so long as there are those with good intentions unwilling to stand against them for fear of reprisal.