@thisismissem @feditips @Mastodon

One could also argue the opposite: Masto begging for donations here shows that Masto needs money - which makes it more likely that they'd be interested in taking money from Facebook, not less.

As far as "conspiracy theories" go, you've gotta remember that none of this is happening in a vacuum. Facebook is an established company with a long history. They've done plenty of nasty, manipulative crap in the past that shows they don't deserve anyone's trust. We should all be highly suspicious of them by default - or as the saying goes, "...fool me twice, shame on me."

Of course, that's Facebook, not Mastodon. But the question isn't whether Eugen is conspiring with them. It's whether Eugen is being too credulous about their claims, or finding excuses to ignore his own doubts, or something along those lines. If they offered him money, he has more incentive to talk himself into working with them more closely. Ditto for admins of any big instances who have been approached by Facebook.