Are we going to be getting that going again?
Yes, but it might take us a bit to get to. We’re planning to setup as a nonprofit and I’d like to publish our financials.
In the meantime server costs aren’t that high so we’re not stressed about it.
I never noticed that it went away … I was signed up for $5 a month.
If anyone is getting more than they need … they should pass on the excess to the software developers of Lemmy… or even the developers of the fediverse protocol activitypub
Donations are needed not just to run servers but to give something to all those software developers that made the software, maintain it, patch it, secure it, monitor it and keep it all running for us. And it’s not just Lemmy developers that are doing it … the fediverse and activitypub are another group of developers that make the whole fediverse possible.
We as users should stop thinking that all this just magically exists on its own for our benefit. If we don’t support the instance owners, the software developers and all those people that keep the software safe and secure for us all … then eventually all those professionals that spend all their time doing all this will eventually look for ways to get some money out of their efforts, especially if their work becomes massively popular. If they get no support or help from anyone, then they’ll look for ways to make money and allow the creep of corporate control to slowly infect the system.
This is what happened to every social media platform … and the fediverse will be no different unless we all give something now. Otherwise something will be taken later.
I see Lemmy accepts donations as well. https://join-lemmy.org/donate
Not sure about ActivityPub etc.
But isn’t it all open source?
Not sure how open source interacts with non-profits (whether that’s allowed, wouldn’t be open then… ?).
Having difficulty following how what you suggest could happen. Not saying you’re wrong I just don’t get it.
It is just the idea of people working for free and for nothing … if those people keep getting no monetary support, eventually, they’ll look for ways to find it somewhere else.
The instance owners of Lemmy, Kbin and all the rest all maintain the hardware using their own money
The developers of the Lemmy software all work mostly for free or as a side job to maintain the software
The developers of Activitypub, the protocol that makes the whole fediverse possible all work as professionally either as volunteers, part of a larger organization or as a side job
All of them are either making very little money from doing all this or making no money at all … which is admirable and I support anyone that is willing to do that.
But like anything in life, you can’t keep giving forever and eventually either you run out of your own money or your own time. So you pass on the responsibility, you invite others in, or you figure out a small way to make money to save yourself and your work. It creates a crack in the system for monied interests to step in. And those interests often are only interested in monetizing things rather than in creating any benefits for the greater good.
So it’s in our best interests as users to give and donate to the instance owners, the various software developers and regularly support them … if we don’t, eventually someone else will and that someone else might not be the people or businesses we want to support what we all built.
