I don’t know whether random is the right answer… We’ve already seen a little drama on the lemmy.ml instances based on one of the server operators preferences. I think people will naturally go to other instances. The server operators effectively determine what belongs and what doesn’t in the instance, and that can change based on their whims. I am against a default but a random server selected automatically seems like a weird roulette.

The power structure of Lemmy instances is like a fiefdom, the admins hold the effective power to select what users and what discussions is allowed within their server they rule. Some rulers are generous and benevolent, some are strict, some are hostile, some are laissez-faire except for certain peculiarities. If you don’t like any of them, then be the ruler of your own kingdom that you create and communicate with the other lords from your throne.

The common sentiment and the one I’ve been feeling is that lemmy overall feels pretty cool. There is an incredibly steep learning curve, but that cool feeling kind of keeps you motivated to try and figure things out.

Beyond simply finding an instance, the signing up process can seem a little confusing as well. Waiting for manual approvals on some instances can really kill the hype and lead to that initial pull being lost.

I completely understand why some instances would want to keep that signup process. But if the “top instances” all have that “wait period” people may, also understandably, not stick around. A seemingly opaque bureaucratic process in order to even be able to see if they like lemmy.