Some untrustworthy entrepreneur bought Freenode. Network staff quit in response and started Libera. The new Freenode staff then proceeded to give users every reason to migrate to Libera.
In 2017
> Network staff quit in response and started Libera.
In 2021
Edit: that said, I was unaware of the statements from Lee that are linked to by an arstechnica article linked elsewhere in the comments. Honestly really not sure who to believe. For all I know (which is nothing first hand) this could be another group sabotaging things to boost their own new network over personal disagreement. Which I'm not suggesting is the case, but as someone not personally involved, all I see is conflicting hearsay.
That's when people on all sides pack up shop and leave.
like removing a subreddit's creator/moderators and taking over it.
This would be like if you found out the local little league basball had been sold. It's a community resource that only exists through the continued donation of time by the members. It's not something that should ever be "owned".
If he didn't change anything for the users (kids and parents across the US), but cleaned house in head office and installed his own management team, the local teams would continue running as they always had. The owner really would benefit from the goodwill of the community and really would "own" it in a meaningful way. Some grumbling idealists would start a new "really truly non-profit" competitor, but for most people the friction of switching would be too great. But if he interfered too much and made the players' experience worse, people and teams would find it attractive to move to the new competitor.
Communities consist of people, and you aren't allowed to own people, so you cannot own a community.