Provider has the connotation of being a paid provider for services. While it’s a technically accurate analogy, I prefer the more abstract comparison of considering the fediverse a meeting place rather than a paid service since it’s a mostly volunteer and self hosted network compared to email.
Comment on What if we called instances providers?
Blaze@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 weeks ago
I was thinking the same. Provider is easier to understand, and used in daily life contexts.
- I changed my Internet provider
- This electricity provider offers better service
TORFdot0@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 4 weeks ago
I disagree. Gmail is my email provider. I don’t pay for it. (Yeah I know they are taking advantage revenue.)
Instance is unnecessary jargon.
Blaze@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 weeks ago
Indeed, but unfortunately there’s no word for a volunteer provider as far as I know.
Irelephant@lemm.ee 4 weeks ago
Yes, thats what I was thinking.
I was thinking about other decentralised networks people may use, and they all seem to use the word “provider”:
MajorHavoc@programming.dev 4 weeks ago
That’s what resonates for me.
We don’t have email
instances, and email providers similarly block un-desired content, but there’s not a big fuss about missing out on specific types of spam. Lol.Similarly Internet service providers actually also block big blocks of malware providing domains, and accidentally sometimes block some great piracy resources. People who care learn to use a VPN or switch providers. Everyone else doesn’t have to think about it.
I’ll argue that The Fediverse also carries extremely similar switching cost as an email or Internet provider. For an average user, “Let folks you care to inform know where you moved, and maybe copy over some favorite bookmarks.”
Sure, different providers do try to bring different lenses on the same federated content, but most people aren’t served well by thinking about it on day one.
I think shifting to the term
provideris a lot more honest to the user about what to expect.