I just recently set up unilem.org aimed at federating with everyone. Yes this will include meta. Some will like it and others will not but thats the beauty of the fediverse. You can choose your home or even make your own.

The server is still in very early stages but im looking for everyones input on potential issues I could face so I can start getting ahead of the curve of some of them. Im obviously aware of issues such as bot server and illegal content being fetched etc.

Any other tips on hosting or just is general is will be much appreciated. Mabye you know some tools that could help? Im aware this is very ambitious but i think its possible if done right.

Much thanks in advance for the help.

all 38 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Keep in mind your instance will cache thumbnails of remote content... including possibly illegal content for your area.

For example there's (far too) many instances that host or are themed around "lolicon" - which is cartoon child pornography. That's illegal in some jurisdictions.

Also remember federation is a two way street. The people you're going to attract with this concept are largely the same groups many instances are trying to keep out. If you get even a little popularity I would expect many mainstream instances to defederate you. Then you're basically back where you started - what's the point?

[–] syntax@unilem.org 1 points 1 year ago

Im aware that my server may cache illegal content. However this is usually easily delt with. It can simply be removed/user banned and can be purged from the server. This can all be done from the admin settings.

I also dont see the main instances defederating us. Our server will be moderated just as any other main lemmy server would. Just setting it up so that the users from our server can intract with any other server they wish. Any content or anyone who breaks our rules will be removed/banned. Just because we have an open federation policy does not mean there will be a lack of moderation.

[–] Tygr@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don’t believe you realize the full scope of your “everything is federated” approach. There’s some really toxic instances out there that will happily reach beyond their instance into yours and abuse your users, relentlessly.

Your head will explode in dealing with it.

[–] subway@lemmy.fmhy.ml 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

So many pornography, so many disgusting stuff that people actually get ptsd from constant exposure.

And the potential legal troubles. I don't exactly know how Lemmy's federation works but if a rogue instance hosted CP/CSAM for the lulz and OP's instance copied the contents for the freedom...

[–] jocanib@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't know why you want fascists crawling all over your server but good luck with Gab2, I guess.

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s kind of the fun of it, though. I used to love reading insane fascists and incel subreddits before they all were b7. It was just so fascinating to me that people like that exist.

[–] aloeha@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Platforming assholes is a bad idea tho.

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I agree, but they’re out there whether we like it or not. I enjoy watching them through the porthole and contemplating what made them that way.

[–] aloeha@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They deserve re-education and jail time, and failing that, death. They do not deserve a platform to spread hatred.

[–] Madbrad200@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

incels deserve death is an interesting take

[–] aloeha@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Can't you read? Holy fuck I only said those people deserve death if re-education doesn't work. Also, I never said anything about incels.

Learn to read you brainless goon.

[–] dandroid@dandroid.app 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That's not better. That's fucking batshit.

[–] Ryantific_theory@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, always blows me away how willing people are to call for crimes against humanity for groups they don't like. I mean, I find nazis to be ridiculous and terrible, but throwing people into re-education camps and executing them if they don't convert to your worldview? That's like reading 1984 as an instruction manual lol.

[–] aloeha@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

Then what's your solution? Letting them run wild and spread their hate and influence other people?

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Maybe you need to incorporate a camp where these people can concentrate on what you want them to do. Dunno what we should call it...

[–] aloeha@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Authoritarianism? Bc that's what it is.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Whoosh.

[–] aloeha@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

I got your stupid joke (you're comparing me to Hitler and fascism which isn't the same thing as authoritarianism, read a book), but you clearly didn't get mine so "wooosh" to you too.

[–] Madbrad200@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Holy fuck I only said those people deserve death if re-education doesn’t work

Yeah that's not any better. Reminds me of fascism actually

[–] aloeha@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

I am so tired of people not knowing the difference between fascism and authoritarianism 😭

Also what is your solution for these people then?

[–] swrdghcnqstdr@lemmy.ml -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

fascism is when you get rid of fascists. i am very smart

[–] Madbrad200@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Lol yeah a "reeducation" camp where death penalty is the result of failing to pass is pretty fascisistic, sorry to disappoint but you share things in common.

[–] aloeha@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

Omg it's authoritarianism you fucking dolt, not fascism!

[–] sangle_of_flame@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

this is not going to work like you want it; check out the "nazi bar" example

[–] Max_P@lemmy.max-p.me 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Yeah, I went into free speech absolutism with my IRC server and it's unbelievable how quickly people will end up testing your limits. Took less than a year before I completely backtracked and went the opposite directly and don't tolerate slurs anymore. I just welcomes loud and obnoxious people and enforcing rules afterwards becomes pretty hard and causes tons of drama.

I mean just look at where Twitter is going now that Elon welcomed right-wing extremists. All it does is end up driving away the good people and turn into a toxic cesspool.

[–] sangle_of_flame@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

yeah, like OP isn't realizing that they're going to just make another Twitter

if you have it that there are no rules against shittiness and bigotry, then the worst kinds of people will decide to hang around and will drive off everyone else; you'll have a nazi bar

[–] Nugget_in_biscuit@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Well, luckily for all of us, that’s his problem and his mistake to make. We can all just hang out on our unaffected instances

[–] TnSb@lemmy.beckmeyer.us 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

ITT: people confused about the difference between defederation and moderation

[–] Thagthebarbarian@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I don't see anything like that, there's no moderating other instances beyond defederating the instance. You can't moderate the Nazis from other instances

[–] dandroid@dandroid.app 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I have my own instance and that doesn't seem to be true. On a post on a community hosted on lemmy.ml, someone posted a picture as a comment of someone taking a shit on someone else, and I was able to remove that comment and ban them from my instance. Obviously other instances would still see that comment, but anyone on my instance shouldn't. Or at least that how I think it works.

[–] TnSb@lemmy.beckmeyer.us 2 points 1 year ago

Exactly right. In the end, we can only control the content hosted/available on our servers. Whether we do that via outright blocking entire servers or individually blocking bad actors or patterns of behavior is up to us.

[–] TheRealBob@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Problems you might face: nazis and QAnon. Solution: don’t federate with everything.

[–] gentleman@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

@syntax Just based on this I'm blocking your instance. That's my tip for you.

[–] curiosityLynx@kglitch.social 1 points 1 year ago

Good luck trying to stay federated with everyone. Including tankies, nazis, trolls, pedos, ...

[–] kukkurovaca@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 year ago

We need the Lemmy equivalent of fediblock so we can post this for everyone to defederate

[–] Tygr@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Your head will explode in dealing with it.