I have accounts on three instances but I’m unsure which one should be my main account.
Look at posts and comments from the instance admin. Does this person seem to know anything about running a server or managing software? Do you like the admin’s tone and attitude? Does it seem like the instance will be around for the long-term, or is it someone’s hobby that they may abandon on a whim?
Look at the instance’s ban list. Do you agree with the choices? Maybe you want your All feed to include exploding-heads and lemmygrad, or maybe you don’t.
Does the instance seem to have a community theme that you want to be associated with? Some emphasize LGBTQ+ communities, or NSFW content, or particular political views.
How annoying. I thought the point of being federated was that i had 1 account for everywhere. Now the douchebag running my instance is going to ban certain communities (defederate) on my behalf? The fuck. Do i need an account on every server if i want to see everything? It’s removed. Give me a ban button and open everything up.
IMO the point of a distributed network isn’t convenience or unbridled free speech, but freedom of choice. Not only are there hundreds of instances to choose from, but anyone can run their own instance however they like, including you. If you host your own then you alone hold the ban button.
I went on the “recommended instances” section here: https://github.com/maltfield/awesome-lemmy-instances
