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I like it enough to host an instance. It's pretty legit, to be honest. If I can find and join more of the same types of communities I was a part of on Reddit, I can easily see myself spending more time here. Even now, I feel like my time on my phone is an even split between Lemmy and Reddit.
What benefit does hosting an instance do? Why not just add a new group to an existing instance?
For most people, probably not much. I'm a moderator of a few smaller subreddits, and I'm trying to build something bigger than just me. Hosting my own instance gives me more control, which means I can set rules that I feel are both fair and effective, and it gives me a chance to take responsibility for both social and technical aspects of the instance. My ultimate goal is to have the instance pay for itself through donations, which is why I'm also trying to differentiate my instance from others. I'm still paying a fair bit out-of-pocket as things stand, but I've already received donations from a few gracious people. So, that's it really: the total package of what I think a Lemmy instance should be. If people like what I'm doing, I welcome them to join.