Humans who run instances are real people who have jobs and mortgages and kids. I also like having piracy communities around to balance the greedy ass corporations trying to control media and copyright…I’m glad to know they are there if I need them or feel like screwing around with it. I just wonder if the people ranting all indignantly acting like instances are competing for their usership would feel the same if the most active instance was on a server physically sitting in their basement, or paid for by money tied to them in the real world. Yes it seems pretty unlikely that you’re ever going to run into issues with law enforcement, copyright claims, lawsuits…but how much would you risk for a fucking hobby you do for free? Would you risk your house? Your job? I would not. Grow up. No one cares what instance you use.
It is their instance at the end of the day that people are being invited to use while they take on the cost and risks of running it. There’s no ads here no monetization plans, so they can come up with whatever reason they want to defederate with them not being some company.
I just don’t feel there’s the same usual expectations and demands of a normal monetized website with how it is just some random people’s instance we are using. Self hosting is the only way to truly have control, but when you’re a guest you just have to either accept the rules or move. We can’t exactly say we are paying customers.