Okay, it’s actually 18955 at the time of this post. I’m looking at https://lemmy.fediverse.observer/list and lemmy.world has already passed beehaw.org by a large margin for second place.
Can’t wait for this place to start filling out!
I think it’s growing the fastest from all the servers since you don’t have to write a line or two for the application!
It’s also worth pointing out it’s hosted by the same person who hosts Mastodon.world, which is a stable, trustworthy and large Mastodon instance.
These were the two factors for me. I tried beehaw first, but after submitting my application and waiting an hour or so, I still couldn’t get in. Whether or not the application is a good idea overall, it’s a barrier to entry. With the blackout I finally decided to be a brave boy and try to figure out the fediverse, and after overcoming that major hurdle I’m met with a literal gatekeeper. I haven’t bothered to check if I ultimately got in since I have am account here now.
So then I’m right back to the drawing board doing searches figuring out which other servers are stable, have decent policies, aren’t run by sketchy folks, etc. It was a lot, but this servers reputation having run a mastodon server is what got me to come here.
I think a lot of people are like me and will get curious about lemmy and want to dive in one afternoon to see what it’s about. They don’t want to spend an afternoon researching like their setting up a smart home ecosystem. Then to be met with gatekeeping, your going to lose people. Maybe that’s fine in the grand scheme of things.
That’s the part I enjoyed the most. Writing a short description on the application page at Beehaw. And now that I’m in it. I can say that it’s the best instance currently. The people and the community is great. I haven’t seen a troll or a complainer in the instance in Beehaw. I have many accounts in other instances and Im assured that Beehaw is where it’s at.
Heh writing the application was part of the fun! :D No, really, I think that at least in Beehive, it is an important step: It ensures a minimum understanding of the environment of the instance and its mission, and as long as the option to join other instances is there, why not?
