I like this quote from the link article:

A poster on one subreddit dedicated to saving the third-party apps broke it down succinctly: “Never forget how Reddit began as an empty website, which its founders populated with hundreds of fake accounts to give the illusion of activity and popularity—Remember that without us, the users, Reddit would be nothing but [Hoffman’s] digital dollhouse.”

At least kbin and lemmy sites are populated by hundreds of fake accounts. And with us on those sites, they won't be doll houses.