Wild drama happened – but it also made me think: how did an anon account gain such influence that even after a past crime was revealed, people here are saying he was a good guy?

Proxy built strong personal ties by making many people here richer and by supporting early-stage projects, some legit, some not. 

Supporting someone who's just starting out – when they're small and nobody – is a powerful bond-building tactics. It's a universal human trait to feel grateful for the help. That gratitude can even blur judgment.

For example, I feel something similar toward the Base eco and Jesse. They gave me a small grant early on, and even now, despite controversy, I still view Base highly positively.

What really scares me is how easily this loyalty-building tactic can be used for manipulation by people with bad intentions.

So I just wish more people were mindful about *why* they feel a certain way about someone.

based take

important to take many notes here. when everyone is taken by surprise, there are lessons to be learned