>>20573>>20632>>20642>>20643While I think that Lemmy and KBin instances (two of the most Reddit-like federated FOSS alternative projects that are most frequently updated) are worthwhile, I think if they're going to be able to offer true alternatives they need some improvement to the projects. For instance, awhile ago Lemmy had some privacy/security issues that at the time it seemed the devs were not too interested in fixing , if what I read was accurate. I really hope there has been an update or positive resolution to this and I'll have to go and check on it again.
>technical issues, posts not going through Some of this may simply be that most of these Lemmy / KBin instances were used to operate at a MUCH lower traffic level to date before the Reddit FUBAR drove many new users. I am guessing it falls into two groups
<Instances that are self hosted at someone's residence or have some relatively inexpensive web hosting resources These are the situations where the admins could in theory beef up their hosting ASAP, though if they have the money and other resources to do so is questionable. While wanting to capitalize on new interest in Lemmy/KBin instances is predicated on new users seeing them work well, its also potentially expensive and short lived to buy or rent much more capable servers or hosting services only to find out that people "give up and go back to Reddit, or otherwise find Lemmy unsuitable" in a a few weeks.
<Bugs or other issues in the Lemmy/KBin codebase that are exposed only with higher activity either per instance or between nodesThere may be some issues that only arise with a more concentrated userbase and/or a higher degree of communication between different nodes than Lemmy/KBin normally experiences. Vast new interest may overwhelm or make inefficiencies more apparent, but once revealed this can only be improved by contributions to development.
Neither of these need be fatal flaws, but if they are not addressed it may result in making less of the opportunity the distaste for Reddit's policies has provided; after all, an exodus from Reddit, should a meaningfully sized one happen, does not necessitate that it move to a better, more open ethos federated alternative as opposed to simply the next iterative centralized, proprietary site that can capture enough userse to become "THE" successor.
>>20691There have been multiple attempts to do just that but as with everything else in the social media era, the users and network effect are the problem. Otherwise, you only get a fraction of the userbase which are mostly made up of those with some motivated interest - from ideology, to money, to some objection to how the original was run or what conduct was permitted; all niches that can be offputting to building a large userbase of more general, wider interests.
Something like Lemmy/KBin or the other "Fediverse" alternatives are the best chance for a meaningful alternative at current, but the experience needs to be there so that those coming from Reddit can feel its more or less meeting their needs. Time will tell how this works out and the rationale behind any degree of success or lack thereof.