dbilitatedJul 4, 2023

Does it seem like we’re mixing two concepts, having servers for users and content?

https://aussie.zone/post/272253

Does it seem like we’re mixing two concepts, having servers for users and content? - Aussie Zone

It feels like they’re two different roles. It might be better to have user-orientated servers that prioritise federation of content and only have a couple of meta-style communities, and other servers which prioritise being the go-to place for discussion on a particular topic and less a place that manages a large number of user accounts. It just seems like two really distinct roles all servers are trying to do at the same time, and it’s leading to larger sites with a lot of users duplicating all the same subs, rather than there being any particular spot for certain types of discussion. It also means the server hosting a particular type of discussion might defed certain instances to prevent trolling when it’s a sensitive topic, but it wouldn’t affect a large userbase who have that as their home server, it would only be moderating the discussion for the content areas they specialise in. Thoughts?

Show threadSpaceBarJul 4, 2023
I’m sorry if I’m being pedantic, but so many of these discussions come down to “how can we make Lemmy be Reddit,” or “how can we make a federated network not be so federated.”
Show threadcerevantJul 4, 2023
This conversation is the exact opposite of that. This is “how can we better optimize federation”.
Show threadKaldoJul 4, 2023

It kinda is though, maybe not so much "be like reddit" but it's definitely "change how federation works". Separating accounts and communities would make the concept of instance even less tangible and it'd change them from a place where you "live" to just a collection of communities with no real attachment to you.

If the design behind fediverse is a bunch of instances that self-govern and manage their own users but can communicate with other instances that they want to, then removing the "users belong to that instance" is a huge change at the very core of a fediverse. It has nothing to do with "optimization".

Show threadBrianTheeBiscuiteer
Yes, it would be changing how federation works and I would actually oppose a change that says a “user instance” and “content instance” can’t be the same server. It’s a perfectly normal architecture though to have a management, worker, and database service use any combination of 1, 2, or 3 servers. This just seems like a decoupling from a monolith into microservices.
Jul 4, 2023 at 2:35pmWeb
Show threaddbilitatedJul 4, 2023
yeah I wouldn’t be in favour of making that change to the software itself… I think the features are good the way they are. I’m just thinking in terms of organising services, and the best way to do it - it’s lots of servers run by volunteers and the structure is hazy so I think it’s good to have these conversations.