I maintained a fairly neutral position (as a mod) while the blackout was starting, but I’m slipping more and more into the Lemmy rabbit hole. First it was getting my own instance running, but now things are starting to take shape and it’s actually a lot of fun trying to keep up with both the server hosting and community building. Plus, everyone here has strong small-Internet-town vibes, which makes interacting with people much more enjoyable than on Reddit. My goal is to get my instance self-funded through donations, but I’m more than happy to keep paying for hosting in the interim. People who talk about Lemmy not being a “viable alternative” probably say so because they don’t get it.