I straight up don't understand the appeal of a bigger userbase here. More users isn't inherently better, and will definitely introduce more issues and problem users that will tax our still developing and somewhat fragile platform. Wanting that "instantly" is just asking for the collapse of Lemmy, imo.
It will help more niche communities grow. I left reddit, generally don't miss it. I also give zero shits about tech, programming and Linux. I am a sports fan though, big NBA fan. There's just zero conversation on those instances. I would like to see the user base grow so I can engage some conversations about those interests. I sure as shit ain't going outside and making friends lol
I am still interested in the mentioned tech, programming ad linux communities but the biggest issue is definitely smaller communities lacking in numbers. But I see more and more users and conversations on here over time. It has definitely increased since I joined. Hopefully we'll see the smaller communities grow as well.
I am with you. I don't care about what the loonix lunatics and privacy criminals preach (I already use uwunutu btw), I just wanna see interaction in the regular normal people communities without the reddit garbage. We need more people in here for that.
There's really zero guarantee that any number of additional users will improve your communities. What would work better is seeding discussions yourself. Is it going to be as robust and abundant as Reddit? No. But the platform is also much newer. All of those subs grew over time because people put in the effort to participate even when the was "zero conversation". You might be taking to yourself for a while, but setting the stage will be much better for the growth you want to see rather than aiming to fill it with random users you just hope make it better and not worse.
Lemmy's biggest weakness right now is a slow drip feed of content. After blocking all of the sports communities and instances in languages I don't speak, I'm left with the following:
News
A bunch of meme communities that might as well be interchangeable with one another
Memes about a TV show I don't watch
Newspaper comics
Animal pictures
Way too much vanilla porn
None of this is bad content per say, but it doesn't capture what I loved about reddit before they ruined it. Reddit was a place where even the most niche of niche topics had a space that you could check in on every day. Obscure anime, unusual collections, diy showcases, you name it. Cultivating a culture that produces produces such specific groups requires enough people to form them. In a group of 100 random people, the number of them who are into Ginga Nagareboshi Gin (look it up) is going to be quite low, but that number increases the more people you include in the sample size and sooner or later you have a subreddit for Ginga fans. That was why Reddit was special to me, and that is what's keeping Lemmy from reaching that high for me.
Sounds like you just want people to provide content for you. Zero-effort entertainment at your convenience, platform be damned.
Considering your have 2 posts to your name, I'd recommend being the change you want to see in the world. If you want a community for your interest, you can't expect it to just appear for you, fully formed. Find the one you're ignoring because it's "too slow" and get involved. The reason it's so "dead" is that most people think like you are.
It's estimated that about 10% of users actually participate in the forums they visit, with 1% of that making the majority of "content". Imagine what it would look like if that changed? We don't need to throw more users into the platform that will tax the system, we just need to stop expecting everyone else to entertain us and start contributing.
The great thing about Lemmy is there's no singular "here". Make a community free from politics if you want one, or, if you're able/willing, make a whole-ass instance. The makeup of Lemmy is pretty much 100% democratic, based on the content of those willing to put in the effort. If someone is unhappy with that makeup, it's up to them to change it.
Also, it's worth noting that Lemmy is certainly not a curated garden of content. If there's stuff you don't want to see any more, it's up to you to remove it from your feed. That is the intended user experience here.
More users = more lifetime, for the platform. At the current level, I estimate that this platform will last about two years. Maybe three. Less, if some kind of significant problem occurs.
You're right that the instant part could be dangerous. That could be the significant problem I just mentioned. But otherwise, Lemmy needs more users, desperately. All internet things have to grow or die. You can wish that wasn't a fact, but it will remain a fact.
I estimate that this platform will last about two years.
Based on what? I too can pull a number out of my arse and estimate the platform will last exactly 18,345 years from today, that doesn't actually mean anything.
The differences I see between link aggregator websites and those websites are that link aggregators have worse discoverability (it's useful to have tags to search for and a hyperlink to the original source of a piece of content) and comment threading (and comments on pornography are basically useless to me). I don't see how directing people looking for pornography to a link aggregator website rather than a website dedicated to providing it will be helpful to me.
And here we have a problem. You're doing a very good job of describing what YOU want. You want pornography. The kind you can find on danbooru.
Are you a random girl who wants to post her tits and/or vag on /r/gonewild? Or are you a guy who wants to post his dong? Do they even allow random users to post their nudes on danbooru? Maybe they do, but not at all in the same format as /r/gonewild.
I'm asserting that Reddit will shortly ban and/or heavily restrict explicit user content, over on their platform, as an indirect consequence of becoming a public company. Nobody has control of that, other than the Reddit board, corporate officers, and shareholders. I'm using the "brace yourselves" meme to indicate that this will kick off a flood of users, fleeing to the Fediverse/Lemmy, because we are a direct replacement for Reddit.
If you haven't noticed that, I can only say that I am confused. That's what the platform was made to be. It works exactly like Reddit, but with several logical improvements (you can edit post titles after you've made a post, embedding images in replies is somewhat easier, the system isn't owned by a single monolithic authority that can destroy communities on a whim, etc).
On the one hand, I am suggesting that the influx of new users can be a positive thing, to ensure the healthy growth of this platform. On the other hand, I am literally saying "brace yourselves," because the wave of crazy shit is coming.
But I'm seeing several people responding like you, with this confusing attitude of "UHH, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT I NECESSARILY WANT." Well, yeah, that's part of why I said "BRACE YOURSELVES." Ned Stark was saying "Winter is coming" as an ominous portent, not an advertisement.
I mean, I actually happen to enjoy anonymous tits and pussy, but you do you.