Spent some hours tracing the code, inserting logging that I watched based on a UPVOTE being federated.

diff --git a/crates/api/src/comment/like.rs b/crates/api/src/comment/like.rs
index 6c4bdebc7..063249a7e 100644
--- a/crates/api/src/comment/like.rs
+++ b/crates/api/src/comment/like.rs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use lemmy_db_schema::{
 };
 use lemmy_db_views::structs::{CommentView, LocalUserView};
 use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
+use tracing::warn;
 
 #[async_trait::async_trait(?Send)]
 impl Perform for CreateCommentLike {
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ impl Perform for CreateCommentLike {
   #[tracing::instrument(skip(context))]
   async fn perform(&self, context: &Data<LemmyContext>) -> Result<CommentResponse, LemmyError> {
     let data: &CreateCommentLike = self;
+    // Here we are with that database read on every single like for site data.
     let local_site = LocalSite::read(context.pool()).await?;
     let local_user_view = local_user_view_from_jwt(&data.auth, context).await?;
 
@@ -62,16 +64,20 @@ impl Perform for CreateCommentLike {
     // Remove any likes first
     let person_id = local_user_view.person.id;
 
+    // does database transaction, despite next one doing update condition?
     CommentLike::remove(context.pool(), person_id, comment_id).await?;
 
     // Only add the like if the score isnt 0
     let do_add = like_form.score != 0 && (like_form.score == 1 || like_form.score == -1);
     if do_add {
+      // this does database transaction. it await for result
       CommentLike::like(context.pool(), &like_form)
         .await
         .map_err(|e| LemmyError::from_error_message(e, "couldnt_like_comment"))?;
     }
 
+    warn!("zebratrace100 vote do_add {:?}", do_add);
+
     build_comment_response(
       context,
       comment_id,
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/community/announce.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/community/announce.rs
index 116b02726..62af17a1a 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/activities/community/announce.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/community/announce.rs
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ use lemmy_api_common::context::LemmyContext;
 use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
 use serde_json::Value;
 use url::Url;
+use tracing::warn;
 
 #[async_trait::async_trait]
 impl ActivityHandler for RawAnnouncableActivities {
@@ -93,6 +94,11 @@ impl AnnounceActivity {
   ) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
     let announce = AnnounceActivity::new(object.clone(), community, context)?;
     let inboxes = community.get_follower_inboxes(context).await?;
+
+    // example, local community with remote subscribers generates this: zebratrace500 like activity inboxes [Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmy.ml")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }, Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmy.management")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }, Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmy.austinite.online")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }, Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmywinks.xyz")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }, Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("lemmy.asc6.org")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }]
+    // example, local community with no remote subscribers, generates this: zebratrace500 like activity inboxes []
+    warn!("zebratrace500 like activity inboxes {:?}", inboxes);
+
     send_lemmy_activity(context, announce, community, inboxes.clone(), false).await?;
 
     // Pleroma and Mastodon can't handle activities like Announce/Create/Page. So for
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/community/mod.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/community/mod.rs
index 010bad4f4..58ae1b732 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/activities/community/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/community/mod.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ use lemmy_api_common::context::LemmyContext;
 use lemmy_db_schema::source::person::PersonFollower;
 use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
 use url::Url;
+use tracing::warn;
 
 pub mod announce;
 pub mod collection_add;
@@ -51,6 +52,8 @@ pub(crate) async fn send_activity_in_community(
     );
   }
 
+  warn!("zebratrace300 send_activity_in_community vote local? {:?}", community.local);
+
   if community.local {
     // send directly to community followers
     AnnounceActivity::send(activity.clone().try_into()?, community, context).await?;
@@ -59,6 +62,14 @@ pub(crate) async fn send_activity_in_community(
     inboxes.push(community.shared_inbox_or_inbox());
   }
 
+  // example output, remote homed community: zebratrace301 send_activity_in_community vote inboxes [Url { scheme: "https", cannot_be_a_base: false, username: "", password: None, host: Some(Domain("beehaw.org")), port: None, path: "/inbox", query: None, fragment: None }]
+  // example output, local homed community with no remote followers: zebratrace301 send_activity_in_community vote inboxes []
+  // same output even when local community has a remote follower: zebratrace301 send_activity_in_community vote inboxes []
+  warn!("zebratrace301 send_activity_in_community vote inboxes {:?}", inboxes);
+
   send_lemmy_activity(context, activity.clone(), actor, inboxes, false).await?;
+
+  warn!("zebratrace302 send_activity_in_community after");
+
   Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/mod.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/mod.rs
index 8bae05577..17d89557f 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/mod.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/mod.rs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
 
 pub mod undo_vote;
 pub mod vote;
+use tracing::warn;
 
 #[async_trait::async_trait]
 impl SendActivity for CreatePostLike {
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ impl SendActivity for CreateCommentLike {
   }
 }
 
+// this send_activity is for votes, look at the score parameter
 async fn send_activity(
   object_id: ObjectId<PostOrComment>,
   community_id: CommunityId,
@@ -89,6 +91,10 @@ async fn send_activity(
     .await?
     .into();
 
+  // production testing reveals that this code is hit with a user doing a vote on local or federated comment.
+  // production testing reveals that when a local user votes, even in a community with zero remote subscribers, this has a hefty &actor data payload. which is just the user who did the vote... lots of overhead to vote on a comment?
+  warn!("zebratrace200 send_activity vote {:?}", &actor);
+
   // score of 1 means upvote, -1 downvote, 0 undo a previous vote
   if score != 0 {
     let vote = Vote::new(object_id, &actor, &community, score.try_into()?, context)?;
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/undo_vote.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/undo_vote.rs
index bcb8ee406..44da390f3 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/undo_vote.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/undo_vote.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use crate::{
   },
   PostOrComment,
 };
+// Ok, federation is involved here in this class somehow
 use activitypub_federation::{
   config::Data,
   kinds::activity::UndoType,
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/vote.rs b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/vote.rs
index 7f36ed471..ee72563ed 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/vote.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/activities/voting/vote.rs
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ use crate::{
   },
   PostOrComment,
 };
+// Ok, federation is involved somehow here
 use activitypub_federation::{
   config::Data,
   fetch::object_id::ObjectId,
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ use lemmy_api_common::context::LemmyContext;
 use lemmy_db_schema::source::local_site::LocalSite;
 use lemmy_utils::error::LemmyError;
 use url::Url;
+use tracing::warn;
 
 impl Vote {
   pub(in crate::activities::voting) fn new(
@@ -57,6 +59,7 @@ impl ActivityHandler for Vote {
   #[tracing::instrument(skip_all)]
   async fn verify(&self, context: &Data<LemmyContext>) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
     let community = self.community(context).await?;
+    warn!("zebratrace000 vote verify {:?}", &self.actor);
     verify_person_in_community(&self.actor, &community, context).await?;
     let enable_downvotes = LocalSite::read(context.pool())
       .await
@@ -70,6 +73,8 @@ impl ActivityHandler for Vote {
 
   #[tracing::instrument(skip_all)]
   async fn receive(self, context: &Data<LemmyContext>) -> Result<(), LemmyError> {
+    // based on testing with a client locally, this code path is only used for federatio incoming votes?
+    warn!("zebratrace000 vote receive {:?}", &self.id);
     insert_activity(&self.id, &self, false, true, context).await?;
     let actor = self.actor.dereference(context).await?;
     let object = self.object.dereference(context).await?;
diff --git a/crates/apub/src/objects/community.rs b/crates/apub/src/objects/community.rs
index 17476e9f8..e437c61ad 100644
--- a/crates/apub/src/objects/community.rs
+++ b/crates/apub/src/objects/community.rs
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ use lemmy_utils::{
 };
 use std::ops::Deref;
 use tracing::debug;
+use tracing::warn;
 use url::Url;
 
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
@@ -207,6 +208,8 @@ impl ApubCommunity {
       })
       .collect();
 
+    warn!("zebratrace600 is every single federated outbound Like hitting this poiint?");
+
     Ok(inboxes)
   }
 }