Very rough explanation:
An instance is just a single distinct computer (server) running the Lemmy software. You have a bunch of these separate computers running the Lemmy software. These computers - together - form the Lemmyverse. (I'm purposely leaving out Fediverse, activitypub).
Each user (no matter what computer/instance they signed up with) has the ability to comment on any post made within this system of cooperating computers (The Lemmyverse). We can also subscribed to each other's communities (ie; forums, subreddits).
That's basically it. The ability to share posts and to comment on each other's posts. You can't use your login details across Lemmyverse since each computer is distinct.
Some of these distinct computers may decide they don't want to be part of this Federation of cooperating computers. For the most part they can disengage from this Lemmyverse. For the most part... but the software is still on version (about) 0.18.2 and so complete (or temporary) disengagement from Lemmyverse is still in development (ie; coding, logic decisions, etc).
I can still remember running Windows 3.1 on my Windows 98 Pentium machine (booted into DOS 7.0). The sheer responsiveness... In a blink of an eye the system was ready, apps would open. The last time I felt this kind of responsive speed was running KolibriOS: http://www.kolibrios.org/en/
I've run plenty of low resource OSes/Distros on low-end hardware but... there's nothing sweeter than running low resource OSes on high end hardware - it feels like the future (the way it was suppose to be).
the extension would be even more interesting if it could work on any link on the web:
A disqus replacement? Now that would be interesting indeed.
I don't think there's a single "main" computer anymore. My home computer is Linux Mint Cinnamon. My mobile computer (which I use nearly as much as my desktop OS) is Android.
My next smartphone is going to allow installing a privacy-respecting custom ROM (because Linux on mobile really isn't there yet). Once I do that, I'll focus on f-droid apps only. Something to look forward to.
Reddit used to be able to do two things. 1. Allow me to express myself and 2. Entertain. They really stopped entertaining me a long while ago. They also didn't engage me enough for me to want to express myself. I already had a foot out the door.
Point 1 is filled with Hacker News, Lemmy and tildes. They are all similar but different. With lemmy... you kind of take your shoes off and relax (respectfully). With HN and Tildes: you are the best version of yourself.
Point 2 is taken up by TikTok. I use TikTok on an older dedicated secondary tablet with a fake gmail account, no contacts. The tablet only does TikTok and nothing else in order to alleviate privacy issues, etc.
HN, Lemmy, tildes and TikTok provide an experience that far surpasses that of reddit.
I can't believe that with the API pricing the way it is, it's financially viable to continue developing this app. It only makes sense if Spez offered this (and some other developers) a backroom deal (complete with NDA).
Spez has shown himself to be a lying, vindictive douche. If he can make Christian Selig look bad (for exposing reddit and Spez himself for what he is), it's something he would appear to relish. The way Spez doubled-down on his vindictive and defamatory statements during the AMA just goes to show that there's no level he won't sink to.
The initial API pricing was meant to drive out all reddit clients. It seems to me that reddit clients still operating after July the 1st have received API pricing (or are not being charged at all - in the case of RedReader). It's just too expensive otherwise.
That, or Christian made a pretty expensive mistake...
I wouldn't put a lot pass /u/spez, including offering special deals on API pricing. Especially if he thinks it would make Christian Selig look bad.
It's precisely the kind of thing a lying, gaslighting and vindictive /u/spez would do.
