From the post:
I cannot emphasize enough, given the context, and given the lack of answers to the above questions, right now it sure as fuck looks like a bunch of North American/British administrators heard that Chinese publications were promoting recommendation lists, a thing that is not only objectively allowed under the rules but seems normal and fine, and decided this meant Those Deceitful Chinese Fake-Fans Must Be Cheating, and so threw out a bunch of ballots of Chinese fans - fans who, by the way *paid for the privilege of submitting their votes* - without bothering to even tell those fans and creators.
Original: https://toots.dgplug.org/@jason/111946163401305592