@tromino Right now, federation also feels like an anti-feature in some ways. Your instance admin messes up and you suddenly can't talk with half of the network? Your instance admin throws a tantrum, shuts down your instance and now you have to start from scratch? (This point is unrelated to this thread, but it is an anti-feature)
All of this needs to be solved, and I think keeping the instance = community mindset is a hindrance.
I do believe that even if instances became more abstract, there would still be aspects that make hosting one worthwhile. Custom emojis, for instance. But what we need first and foremost is the willingness to even change the status quo.
@volpeon@icy.wyvern.rip