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1. Embed this notice
   Johannes Ernst (j12t@j12t.social)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Jun-2025 03:13:48 JST Johannes Ernst

   One of the big conceptual questions that's unresolved in the #Fediverse is: Just what exactly is an instance for?

   Yep, it's a separate installation of server software. But what exactly does instance 1 give me compared to instance 2?

   Answer A: it makes no difference except on policy: who runs it, what are their TOS, moderation policy etc. The Local feed has no significance.

   Answer B: Beyond that, it defines a community. The local feed is essential.

   Which should it be?

   • Embed this notice
     Nathan Schneider (ntnsndr@social.coop)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Jun-2025 03:13:11 JST Nathan Schneider

     in reply to

     @j12t I think A and B, but the answer would be different if there were better tools for building cross-instance communities in the fediverse.

   • Embed this notice
     Tim Chambers (tchambers@indieweb.social)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Jun-2025 07:16:38 JST Tim Chambers

     in reply to

     • Tommi 🤯 → 39C3

     @tommi @j12t My take: community servers are not one thing across the fedi, nor need they be. General purpose servers might have relatively indestinct local feeds from each other, like a big food court. Everybody mixes togtether. But specialized servers like @jazztodon.com, @me.dm, @mathstodon.xyz, and @mapstodon.space are unique bistros with their own flavor - and each type works for different folks.

   • Embed this notice
     Tommi 🤯 → 39C3 (tommi@pan.rent)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Jun-2025 07:16:40 JST Tommi 🤯 → 39C3

     in reply to

     @j12t B, absolutely!

   • Embed this notice
     Steve Bate (steve@social.technoetic.com)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Jun-2025 22:35:40 JST Steve Bate

     in reply to

     @j12t @tchambers @tommi The ActivityPub network (Fediverse) is often compared to email. I know it's a dubious analogy, at best, but people don't typically pick email servers (or email service providers) based on "community". However, communities still form as an "overlay" social network through mailing lists, newsletters and so on. Why can't an "instance" simply be an ATA (Activity Transfer Agent) and clients be AUAs (Activity User Agents) with the ability for any AUA to work with any ATA?

   • Embed this notice
     Johannes Ernst (j12t@j12t.social)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Jun-2025 22:35:41 JST Johannes Ernst

     in reply to

     • Tim Chambers
     • Tommi 🤯 → 39C3

     @tchambers @tommi One of the nice things about my second alternative is that it neatly explains why, say, a Lemmy instance is so different from a Mastodon instance -- it's because the community that's there has different needs, so they have different electronic tools at their disposal.

     Tim Chambers repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Tim Chambers (tchambers@indieweb.social)'s status on Tuesday, 24-Jun-2025 22:36:42 JST Tim Chambers

     in reply to

     • Tommi 🤯 → 39C3
     • Steve Bate
     • jazztodon.com

     @steve @j12t @tommi

     Steve I think that model works great for some.

     But I actually do think it a plus for others that if you were way into Jazz, you could join @jazztodon.com and be among fellow afficianodos as well as being an onramp to the Fedi.