Nobody is paid to down-ramp. It's a really strange perspective...

Nobody is paid to down-ramp. It's a really strange perspective to think that anyone with a differing view might receive money to talk trash about a stock. I can understand if someone had a short interest in a stock, and they were intentionally speaking ill of it - perhaps this is what you mean?

People (including myself) who had money in and out of ZIP, made their cash, and jumped out are likely to watch closely. We were invested, and watched this beast turned poodle closely. Many of us started screaming out at the dilution and 'expansion at all costs' mentality, and the CEOs filling their pockets. Many were cranky with management early on when they cashed out, so naturally they have an interest in the direction of the stock. Non-holders could be here for plenty of reasons ;

• Confirmation bias - watching the share price implode based on their predictions/observations of management
• Disgruntled former shareholders - who saw potential, but also saw holders exploited
• Genuine interest in the demise of the BNPL unicorns
• Schadenfreude watching Larry and Peter go from arrogant, blatantly dismissive of retail shareholders in their perspective to now being the laughing stock of the ASX (of which I'm guilty)
• Shorters - pushing the anti-BNPL/tech stock sentiments. Though I think this one would be fairly minimal, given there's not much left to short
• Self-indulgent gloaters - here to say 'I told you so' because 16% of their posts across a 4 year timeframe may have been correct.
• Everyone else who has a fascination with this train wreck.

Bottom line is - anyone can participate here, and if the sentiment isn't what you like, then there's a good chance it's just an opinion, not a conspiracy from Anti-Zip with an army on the payroll to down-ramp.