Seems to me that shitty cheap engagement attempts got way worse since Moxie was introduced?

Anecdotal but I can definitely feel it. 

Is there any data that shows that it made farcaster better / worse?

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Definitely true, but in general I would say that there is more conversation happening though. Reality is that once you get to know or like someone, a lot of it is basic conversation, so simple affirmations and atta boys are common. I don't expect every response from friends to be perfectly crafted. 

You just don't give that opportunity to people you don't know now, which kinda makes it hard to get to know people. I'll track if other people I know well engage with them and then decide if they are "real" and then maybe jump in. So, for sure there is norm shift happening.