I’m not sure that’s true. Couldn’t it just automatically broadcast your server’s current correct IP to all servers it federates with each time it (the IP) changes (and if a server fails to find a federated server by the most recent IP in its records, have it query other federated servers for a more up to date IP.)
This would create the same issue every time you wanted to switch servers / server hosters and would make self hosting with a dynamic ip impossible
I’m not sure that’s true. Couldn’t it just automatically broadcast your server’s current correct IP to all servers it federates with each time it (the IP) changes (and if a server fails to find a federated server by the most recent IP in its records, have it query other federated servers for a more up to date IP.)
Lemmy relies heavily on SSL, which requires a domain name. You can’t get an SSL certificate for an IP address as far as I know.
You prove you own the domain to the certificate issuer, and from then on, anyone can verify that they’re talking to the right server.
IPs could be technically possible if server identities were validated separately like with SSH keys, but that would be a major change in the protocol.