this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2025
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I think redirecting to https://join-lemmy.org/ is the best option.
I feel that's not a great way to onboard people, there is too much happening on the page, and too much friction to get to a point where you see content.
I mean, select "Join a Server", select "General", then select "English". Explore one instance that is listed.
The newbies should at least know what a instance is, don't you agree?
People tend to scroll, missing the Join button, and then get stuck towards the bottom of the page (that's what happened to me)
If you click join, you end up with a long list of servers, and decision fatigue kicks in.
I feel it's better to show users content first, or immediately try to get them to login.
Then with the parameters already set: https://join-lemmy.org/instances?topic=all_topics&language=en&scroll=true
The thing is, they most likely will register at that instance you give them. So the burden of changing the instance once it gets too big is yours. Let's say sopuli.xyz becomes too big at some point, you'd have to manually change all your recommendations to sopuli.xyz or have the admins there disable registrations, and at that point the user most likely won't care and go back. The official join lemmy website is the better option in the long run.
I think the best solution for this is a website that helps you pick a good instance for you, not like join lemmy just throwing an entire list of instances at you (hat categories but imo that's not enough).
If I ever get off my ass I'll do it lol.
Basically the join-lemmy.org list but it selects one instance randomly depending on user's input/preferences?
Close, but it would be exclusively for picking an instance and'd have more questions, to more specifically narrow down a good instance for them.
Well, what can you even ask other than what join-lemmy.org already asks?
Honestly it doesn't recommend many good things from what i've seen. I think it'd work to add more topics (countries too) and maybe adding a small question like server size. Also improve the actual selection, because uh...
You can change the instance topics in this file, pull requests welcome!
https://github.com/LemmyNet/joinlemmy-site/blob/main/src/shared/components/instances-definitions.ts#L103
Thanks! I may do so.
I mean, we all know how the lemmy devs are. So yeah, not surprised. We might need an alternative after all.