[domtron_vox]

Haven't used lemmy in particular. But in theory defederation exists to block bad actors. Since anyone can host a server themselves and no one can stop the servers outside some kind of government intervention, each server needs the ability to block a spammy or even illegal content filled server.

In reality, it is used for that and the censorship of ideas server owners don't like... or even just blocking a server because the admins of each server had a spat. It has been likened to little fifedoms each with their own flavor of tyrant, a little drematic imo but not wholely wrong either.

Another use is if you want to use the software, but don't want/need connections to the greater network. So you fully defederate and only allow your friends to have logins to your isolated server.

[axpy]

I agree with you. I was happy to jump to Lemmy right away then after only a few days they were talking about the defederation of some of the biggest instances. I originally liked the idea of federations since it allow a way to deal with problematic instances, let the steam blow temporarily. Then, I followed some of the discussion and was appalled by how folks some folks were using federations as way to curate their echo chamber and censor political idea. This is just what we need, another social media that shows recomforting opinion and demonize anything else.

I personally don't have the time or the energy to follow stupid turf wars and trying to find out who is federated with who.