It’s also true that for many the thread had been an unwelcoming place for years and many who COULD have contributed took one look and scrammed. This was sometimes marveled at on other TMC threads more tightly focussed on specific Tesla topics, like I dunno, something technical with Model Ys, battery stuff, whatever. People just shaking their heads and describing an atmosphere like walking into McDonalds and seeing the only available table was beside four Old Regular codgers saying the same pissy stuff to each other they do every morning.
If someone uses the disapproval thumbs down as a primary means of expression, and they trade daily in conspiracy theories and endless talk of FUD and shorts and being quick on the draw with labelling “trolls” it’s hard to see how they are making the discourse worth diving into.
Think about the MODs and how much of that they have had to deal with not just every day but often every hour, and what that would do to you to have to marinate in it like that.