How are lemmy instances being funded, what kind of entity owns them, and if incorporated where? E.g. private individual, LLC, C Corp, non profit, S Corp, Benefit Corp, etc

What do you all think about having the documentation suggest instances supply this?

What are the long term plans for funding?

I think the time to figure this out is now due to the real golden rule: “The one who as the gold makes the rules.”

If in the US, I would suggest a benefit corporation. A benefit corporation allows making a profit but isn’t the sole aim of the organization. IANAL, but from my understanding it is like a corporation and non-profit hybrid. This provides flexibility and funding opportunities.

What is stopping an instance run by a for profit entity from becoming THE instance and ending up in the same situation as we were with Reddit in X years? I understand the federation aspect, but suppose that instance de-federates.

What does everyone else think? Am I making sense?

  • @cerevantEnglish
    6•1 year ago

    What is stopping an instance run by a for profit entity

    Nothing. In fact I fully expect this in the future.

    I think it would be great for google or Microsoft to provide lemmy identities for their e-mail clients. There is also a space for paid providers who could provide secure & reliable hosting of lemmy accounts and communities.

    I think it would be a good thing for businesses to spin up a lemmy instance instead of a forum, or for media outlets to serve their own mastodon content from their own domain so they don’t have to rely on a third party to verify their staff.

    ending up in the same situation as we were with Reddit in X years?

    The same reason that it doesn’t happen with e-mail. Or cell phones. Or web hosting. Because you can pick up a move if you don’t like your provider. Or you can host your own.