Sure, they email smaller orgs out of the blue and invite them to join a "federation" where they co-opt all the labor of these smaller orgs and take credit it for it despite being an only online organization. they do this to launder their lack of reputation by couching it in the work of people they've never met in places they've never been to. so when some small town fledgling leftists get their first reading group together, no other leftist orgs around to join so they start their own, start posting on socials about what they are doing, start doing some material aid in the streets, boom you'll get an invite by people pretending to have more experience organizing (despite only "organizing" online) who will "mentor" you and help make sure you are doing the "correct" things. you see the polished website and the well written words and assume they are legit, recognize that you are inexperienced and trying something new, and submit to them. then they will use the example of these stranger's work to legitimize themselves and absorb more smaller, inexperienced people and continue to launder their credibility on the backs of other people. I originally used the term kind of hyperbolic because it's not literally a pyramid scheme, but its like a social capital pyramid scheme

[–] Maeve@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Makes sense, and I appreciate the literal explanation, and think it may be useful to baby leftists other than myself, as well. However, I have not seen anything of the sort from OP but I miss s lot due to 3D demands and sorting algorithm.

What I seem to have noticed from OP is a flurry of really informative posts, perhaps overstimulation and/or unknown variable, then some period of inactivity while they regroup. OP also publicly said they share their account. While I obviously can't verify anything, obviously, but a mod or admin skilled in anti/sec certainly could, had they time and inclination. And depending on if OP is acting in good faith or not, I would expect necessary time expenditure to be directly proportional to good/bad faith posting.

[–] Jabril@hexbear.net 0 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

I'm talking about USU specifically, how they function as an "organization".

no clue if OP is involved with them or to what level if so. I just know OP commented on a 10 month old comment I made making the same critiques I am making here but seeming to defend USU and that behavior makes it seem like someone affiliated who is acting as their agent but that could be voluntary. It was weird to see a reply to something I said almost a year ago defending a micro cult, it definitely reads as "I'm a member of the micro cult" behavior to go looking for critique against them to attack

Edit:

OP also publicly said they share their account.

Sorry I missed this when I read your comment, yeah that reads even more like they are operating in sync with USU since that is how they operate with shared social accounts but really no way to know

[–] Maeve@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Noted. Thanks.

Edit: although I'm still not convinced, but will proceed with caution.

[–] amemorablename@lemmygrad.ml 0 points 2 weeks ago

Sorry I missed this when I read your comment, yeah that reads even more like they are operating in sync with USU since that is how they operate with shared social accounts but really no way to know

I've been skeptical of how they've posted about PSL in the past (a fair amount of alluding to receipts and tenuous connections implied, then not tending to show up with them in an organized manner that others can work through), but tried to keep an open mind on it in good faith.

The implication here seems like it needs addressing by them. It is possible for someone with good intentions to be acting with poor judgment and that can still be a problem. In my view, criticizing orgs is of course something we should be able to do, but we should strive to do it in a way that is specific and detailed on principled ideological grounds, as opposed to scattershot allusions to poor organizing/behavior or tenuous connections to ideological wrongness, else it can come across as dishonest, wrecker behavior.