When I first new about lemmy, lemm.ee was among the biggest and I created an account on it but didn’t use it much and didn’t knew that the instance was deleted until recently. So help me understand where content is stored:

  • When a post is created, is it only stored on the original instance, or copied to every other one?

  • Do all federated servers get a copy, or get posts from other server when user demands them?

  • When an instance shuts down, is its content gone forever, or do other instances keep copies?

  • If the original server is gone, what happens to edits or deletions?

  • Is there any kind of “shared” storage in the Fediverse, or network that store everything?

  • Could one still access all lemm.ee content now? Or post in it’s communities?

  • trashcan@sh.itjust.works
    26·
    20 hours ago

    When a post is created, is it only stored on the original instance, or copied to every other one?

    Copied

    • Do all federated servers get a copy, or get posts from other server when user demands them?

    They get copies of all posts from communities their users subscribe to.

    • When an instance shuts down, is its content gone forever, or do other instances keep copies?

    The copies remain. But new comments or posts won’t federate to other copies.

    • Is there any kind of “shared” storage in the Fediverse, or network that store everything?

    No,

    • Could one still access all lemm.ee content now? Or post in it’s communities?

    Yes, as long as an instance that was around long enough to federate with it still exists. You can browse from SJW for example.

    • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.worldEnglish
      7·
      19 hours ago

      I’m new to this place…I still have no idea what’s going on and little idea of what an instance or my instance is.

      …but I’m an OG internet user and what you’re describing sounds like EchoNet FidoNet?, or one of the various networked BBS systems pre-internet. BBSs, or groups of BBSs would frequently drop in and out of the networks, and the forums/threads from the absent BBSs would still be there…but in a “cleaved” state. Very confusing to a user who used multiple ‘Nets (which was everybody).

      • trashcan@sh.itjust.works
        1·
        7 hours ago

        My explanations may not have been new user-friendly. So we’re on the “threadiverse” as some of us call it. Lemmy is the biggest software that’s compatible but there’s also mbin, and piefed. You’re signed up on a piefed server (instance). But you can still interact with Lemmy users, communities, etc. And vice-versa.

        The only difference is your UI and admins.

        Is there anything specific I can clarify?

        • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.worldEnglish
          3·
          4 hours ago

          Thank you.

          I sort of get it. I get the concept. I don’t really understand what I have access to in addition to “Lemmy”. I get that my interface is different because I use Blorp…I get that whatever address a user is posting from comes with a set of admins that moderate their users and choose what instances they see. I guess I don’t get the scope of the whole thing or what I’m not seeing and why. I sort of understand that the “channels” are hosted on particular instances.

          I’m a refugee from Reddit and instantly preferred this because I don’t get random automatic false positive warnings from the system, and there no mods harassing me and abusing the auto moderation system….so far. Maybe because everybody isn’t a bot and/or picking a fight with me.

              • trashcan@sh.itjust.works
                2·
                3 hours ago

                Another thing to keep in mind is votes are obscured, but not really private. Admins of federated instances can see them and there are tools too. Piefed might work a little differently. There’s an option to not have your votes federate to other servers so only your admins can see it.

                • MyMindIsLikeAnOcean@piefed.worldEnglish
                  2·
                  3 hours ago

                  Thanks.

                  I never really paid attention to votes…not even on Reddit. I’m old and I just say what I say. I’ll hand them out to reward effort…but beyond that the count miss me.

      • trashcan@sh.itjust.works
        7·
        20 hours ago

        I missed one:

        If the original server is gone, what happens to edits or deletions?

        Edits or posts made after the server is gone? They don’t federate out past your instance.