After coming to this conclusion, they then persuaded everyone in this Facebook group for this particular plant genus that this was true (without evidence), and even managed to spread the information out to many plant sellers' websites, propagating (ha) this rumour as fact.
@cassolotl Wow - what a story.
I'm really used to plant nerds working really hard to get evidence etc. And if you don't know, you don't know so it's left open. Why dig in unless you have some money in the game? It all sounds very sus.
@GwenfarsGarden Yeah exactly, they had no stake in any of it and they're just totally unwilling to consider that they don't actually have sufficient evidence for any of this...!
@cassolotl it's bizarre how people can dig themselves in about something for no real reason. It's ok to be wrong. You learn, apologise, and move on.
@GwenfarsGarden Yeah, even if they just admitted that they have no evidence but they believe they're right that'd be a bit of an improvement! 🤷 Anyway, it has entertained me greatly. :D
@cassolotl Well, that is so, so weird. And yet another example of great FB is at growing (ahem) conspiracy theories & misinformation.
@cassolotl i find this saga *extremely* interesting, the entrenched view points seem like they should be way more fragile
@austenitic Yeah, I was fully expecting for everything to just wiffle into awkward silence as soon as Avery provided proof that Cultivar A never had a patent, it's all so weird! Are they really this determined to not admit that they were wrong?
@cassolotl i need to find out if the group implodes over this, but they seem kind of impervious??
@austenitic Yeah, they're all sticking by the admin SO HARD. I wonder if Avery is keeping track of group numbers. 🤔
@austenitic Update: Avery says, "oh yeah the group isn't going to implode, all that might eventually happen is i'll get kicked."
There have been many different people commenting to oppose Avery, telling him he's being mean or wrong or whatever, and not one person has spoken up in support of him!
@cassolotl oof, well that does sound realistic
@austenitic Yeah! I'm impressed that he has stuck it out this long, and also pleased because I am having a GREAT time. >:D
@cassolotl as are several lucky people unconnected to this in any way,, thank you thank you
@cassolotl This is a wildly fascinating story, possibly a better story than the random christmas movie sequel I just watched.
@zatnosk It's pretty interesting, isn't it? :D I think I am more gripped than Avery even though I'm not even involved!
@cassolotl I saw that toot I replied to first in me feed, thought: I need context for that, and then.. the scrolling upwards. Very scroll, much epic, so saga!
@zatnosk Haha, yes, it's been a fun and popcorny 24-48 hours. :P Pandemics cause new standards for entertainment??
@cassolotl @zatnosk disaster tourism, social media edition
@cassolotl This story is a wild ride from start to finish
@cassolotl This is absolutely fascinating
@cassolotl wowww
I thought my workplace was a cult
@cassolotl this is the greatest thing I've read all day
So this Facebook group admin has a whole cult of group members defending them and spreading the word, it's now widely held (but very niche) industry knowledge, and it's all a conspiracy theory from ONE PERSON based on a screenshot of a Facebook comment auto-translated from Dutch.