Fwiw, !fedimemes@feddit.uk (where this community is located and where OP said they lost a banger) is a LEMMY instance. They run a custom UI frontend and backend both currently based off of version 0.19.17 (UI: 0.19.17-2-g4f0da5f5 & BE: 0.19.17-feddit) - see admin’s response to my comment below.

This entire post ends up being a little bit misinformation, sadly, as the phenomena has virtually nothing to do with PieFed, except that is the software that OP’s instance just so happens to run - and even there (highly ironically) OP themselves mentions that their instance (PieFed.zip) does not delete old meme posts.

Lemmy might have to do it with externalized automated modbots whereas PieFed offers the community mods a configuration option to do it for them inside the instance software itself - that’s all? Edit: oh wait, one more thing: in formalizing the process, it also ensures accurate reporting of the phenomena in the sidebar area. I recall on multiple occasions being surprised when my Lemmy memes disappeared, and managed to “discover” their rule for post deletion despite not being told in advance (or maybe it was in an old pinned post or something, but not easily findable in the sidebar).

But meme communities on PieFed.zip should be perfectly safe, at least as safe as on lemmy.zip, and due to the migration feature (remember lemm.ee?), actually far more so.

That said, Rimu’s joking around about Lemmy content aside, the specific PieFed.social instance indeed is truly not as friendly towards meme content, so yes best to avoid migrating meme communities to there if you want the posts to last longer. Each instance owner sets their own policies as to what they want to do with their hardware, and that is what he wants.

PieFed.zip on the other hand is very open to receiving such. So it’s not “PieFed” that is against memes, just one of the quirks about the specific instance of PieFed.social.