This guy is clearly snooping the downvoters as an instance admin and retaliating against them. Wouldn’t even have noticed if I didn’t stumble onto the modlog in Voyager by accident.
I might be of course wrong in my assumption. But I don’t remember ever interacting with anyone from that instance, I’m not subscribed to those communities and the dates correlate.
43 users is still a friends and family instance, maybe colleagues too. Look at his registration application criteria:
While it might seem broad enough to include anyone who isn’t his friends or family it is vague enough that the intention is clear that he only wants friends, family, or colleagues to signup there.
Where even is WV
West Virginia
Just West of Virginia
I don’t even know, this is why I would say it’s a personal instance you have to either read his mind or know him already to be able to join.