Note: I am primarily on Mastodon and have been on-and-off since 2017.

I don't know how much success you will have in the short term trying to pull "field experts" from Mastodon to engage on Lemmy. The vast majority of current Mastodon users came from big Twitter and Tumblr waves, not Reddit. There are different expectations re: etiquette and moderation between the two platforms, and Lemmy doesn't have some of the moderation / privacy / security features that Mastodon users like.

Plus, a lot (not all) Mastodon users dislike Reddit's culture and unfortunately, Lemmy has seen a sharp turn to mirroring that culture. Even I have been increasingly turned off in recent weeks; it's only because I'm on Beehaw that I've found the Lemmy experience bearable.

I had no idea Hexbear decided to start federating until I saw the shitshow that is that thread. So glad I never have to see their BS lol

We don't need bots. It's concerning some people think any community /needs/ bots. That type of infinite growth mentality is wack and I don't subscribe to it. Like you, I block almost every bot I come across and my experience only continues to improve.

To be fair, according to the article this project is less than a month old! I'm sure it will continue to improve.