this post was submitted on 24 Aug 2025
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In recent weeks, I have posted an absolutely staggering amount of content on Lemmy.

My goal is simply to support the platform. I hate huge corporations.

Now I'm taking a break. I won't post anything or I'll post very little (I still feel a little guilty!! Who will post new content 😢?)

But I need to focus on improving my own life and relax.

However... I'm just curious.

Is the number of Lemmy users actually increasing, decreasing, or staying the same? Is that data even available?

Edit: I will still post stuff. I'll just post a lot less!

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[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 2 points 2 days ago (3 children)

That email comparison annoys the fuck out of me. How is any of this like email?

[–] Thekingoflorda@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Wow, calm down. It was just a question. The core difference between Reddit and lemmy is in my mind like the core difference between something like whatsapp and email.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 1 points 1 day ago

Wasn't directed at you personally, sorry. I've seen that comparison before and it makes me doubt my sanity.

[–] paraphrand@lemmy.world 2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)
  1. Domain + Username
  2. email is also very flawed (think spam, and spoofing, etc)
  3. its federated
  4. people usually just pick one of the big platforms, but there are other options.
  5. email servers get banned from interoperating with the network all the time

The comparisons could go on. I’m sure there are contrasts too. But email is a point of reference most people know about. Unless they don’t have an email address. I guess.

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 1 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

And you think the average user thinks of ANY of this when they're using Lemmy for the first time so they must conclude "oh it's just like email"? This has absolutely nothing to do with using the platform.

[–] paraphrand@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

I answered your question about the similarities man. Settle down. You asked any and I gave you it. You didn’t ask for how it’s exactly like email.

Also, I think tech nerds tend to look down on others in this topic. “It’s too difficult, it’s too much to learn.” —- and thus it won’t be profitable? What are we worried about?

Activity pub and related networks didn’t just shrivel up and die right away due to this problem. I’m arguing with a stranger on the internet via a newer activity pub platform, in fact.

[–] quid_pro_joe@infosec.pub 2 points 1 day ago

You're right about tech nerds - I'm pretty sure most are borderline autistic, with a common trait of being far too literal in casual conversation. I (on the spectrum) spent a lot of time and effort conditioning myself to be more chill with neuro-norms. And it worked! I don't get bent out of shape anymore discussing techy things with non-techy people, not do I correct them, because they are going to forget the technical details the second I turn away, but they will definitely remember (and dislike) the nerd who starting arguing over some trivial detail.

[–] quid_pro_joe@infosec.pub 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Email and Lemmy are both digital communication systems where people use personal computers connected to the internet to socialize across the world. To you, they are completely different. To my parents and most of my clients (boomers), they are one and the same. Is the Nintendo Switch the same as the Steam Deck? Hell no, I don't even game, but I can rattle off a dozen differences between the two platforms. Yet, to those who are technologically illiterate (which is most Americans), they are one and the same. But I can understand your frustration, I had a Sega Genesis growing up, and my parents always called it a Nintendo, to which I would autistically shout "Moooom, it's a Seg-AH GEN-esis, it's totally different!"

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Very relatable, of course, and triggering a bunch of that type of memory, thanks for that. But bizarrely, it's the opposite. The first thing I read about the Fediverse is how if I can understand email, I can understand the Fediverse. This was people who are way more geeky (and presumably autistic) than I am. I've seen that comparison several times since then and I still struggle to understand what the fuck they meant by that, other than "your username is username@hostname.suffix which looks like an email address" which is so fucking surface level it makes my head spin and has fuck-all to do with how you use the various platforms.

[–] quid_pro_joe@infosec.pub 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think you and I are in that sweet sweet band of The Spectrum™ where we have heightened senses, intelligence, thirst for knowledge, ability to see things from unique perspectives, but without all the autistic screeching 😁

[–] Lumidaub@feddit.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I couldn't possibly disagree with that, for obvious reasons. (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

[–] quid_pro_joe@infosec.pub 1 points 3 hours ago

Obama_awarding_Obama.gif 🏅