1. Someone (Reddit administrators?) was caught using chatGPT bots to flood the site with pro-admin comments.

2. After /r/Programming exposed this, the subReddit was closed down.

3. Rumor: the admins were the ones who close down the sub. Regardless, the astroturfing is evident.

SOURCES

1. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36361247

2. https://web.archive.org/web/20230611210834/https://old.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/146wn9s/meta_who_is_astroturfing_rprogramming_and_why/

3. https://web.archive.org/web/20230612080526/https://i.imgur.com/4e9jO7P.jpg