(ranting to myself since I have no friends…)

Pros

  • New features, feature removal, or weird redesigns can’t be forced on you, like with what has happened countless times in other apps (Reddit, Discord). If you don’t want to lose your favorite feature or favorite UI design, you can just permanently run whatever version you want (ideally with backported fixes but that’s optional).
  • No risk of account deletion or site-wide bans (since there is no one site).
  • It’s fun setting up what feels like my own version of Reddit, messing with settings, managing communities, etc.
  • Closed source sites can collect a lot of data about you that can be used against you after a data breach happens. At least with open source federated apps, you know exactly what data you (or other servers) are storing.
  • Open API, which wouldn’t have been relevant a few years ago but is increasingly becoming more important as large sites try to charge for API access.
  • I no longer have to identify as a “Twitter User” or a “Redditor”.

Cons

  • At minimum, you’ll need to spend around $5/Month + $10/Year for a domain.
  • It’s expensive to stay anonymous. For each account/identity you want, you would have to self host multiple instances. Each one would need its own server, domain (since server IPs are exposed), admin account + user account, etc. You’ll also need to keep them all up to date.
  • It’s still less anonymous than something like Reddit with a VPN.
    • If you server IP is exposed, and your web host is compromised, your instance and your real identity (via the payment method, invoice data, CC details, etc) can be linked up. The only way to buy your server anonymously would be by paying in a cryptocurrency for your server, and using a VPN, which adds to the cost (expect at least double what places like Digital Ocean charge) and complexity.
    • The same applies to domains, even with private whois.
  • It requires constant upkeep - you can’t just stop paying for a few months or you’ll have to redo everything when you come back (I’ve had to do this a few times with matrix).