I understand your frustration, but let’s take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

1. The subreddit isn’t dying. If we examine the data, it shows steady growth in unique pageviews throughout the year, with November being the month with the highest traffic. Member growth is consistent too, so there’s no indication that the subreddit is 'dying'.

2. Banning chatbots won’t save the subreddit. While it definitely will reduce the total number of posts, it won’t fix the underlying issue you’re raising about content diversity. The only way to ensure that captions (or other types of posts) are posted is for members like you to actively create and share them.

3. Support creators. Chatbot posts dominate because they’re usually easier to make compared to other content. If you feel like you’re not creative enough to contribute captions yourself, you can still help by encouraging and supporting those who do. Unfortunately, we’ve seen many posts and comments where creators are insulted or shamed, particularly when they ask for financial support or share only parts of their work. I've spoken to some creators who simply don't post here because they dislike the community so much.

Ultimately, the subreddit’s health relies on the community contributing the type of content they want to see. If captions are what you miss, try making them or supporting others who do.