I’m so late to the discussion but after learning about the anarq*ista catfishing shit I’m just like wow maybe I actually dodged a bullet by not being more friendly.

but now I have trust issues bc how did they manage to fool so many people and why was the p*do defense stuff not more well known? because I’m only just learning about it and I had several mutual followers in common, and none of them mentioned it

I gotta be more intentional about fielding my mutuals. I really just be following whoever looks sorta cool and doesn’t seem obviously shitty. We weren’t homies or nothin but wtf

I don’t think anyone should feel bad about falling for the act, I don’t. but this should be an opportunity to reflect and strategize on how to stop shit like this from happening in the first place and what to do when it inevitably happens again in the future
not that I really care about optics but it also just makes everyone around them look bad by association and takes away from their credibility. like if one person lies it’s on them, but if others repeat the lie, even if they’re unaware, they just look like liars too. proximity is often conflated with endorsement