What is the maximum number of active users on an instance before the financial burden gets too high for the admins?
Pretty straight question.
I see Lemm.ee is now the second most populated instance based on https://lemmy.fediverse.observer/list, with 3634 monthly active users.
I also know that Lemmy devs said that
lemmy.ml is bigger than beehaw, and only costs 80 euros per month for a dedicated server.
https://lemmy.ml/comment/2372503
As lemmy.ml has 3561 monthly active users, should we consider that around 3,5k-4k users is the sweet spot for an instance population, and stop recommending the ones that reached that threshold?
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Why would they stop? That revenue model has been working just fine for Wikipedia for over a decade now.
Wikipedia has to ask for donations several times. I'm not sure it's 100% future proof for instances to have to rely on large donations
Actually, Wikipedia doesn't have to ask for donations to the extent that they do:
https://unherd.com/thepost/the-next-time-wikipedia-asks-for-a-donation-ignore-it/
Someone on lemmygrad.ml posted this as a comment, for users of instances that block it:
wikipedia itself is more than fine, they just spend a ton of money on other projects thats what the donation drives are mostly funding (most of which suck tbh). Another org that does just fine funding itself through donation is the Organization for Transformative Works (i.e archiveofourown.org)
(if someone could repost this that's not on an instance blocked by sopuli that would be much appreciated)
Might awant to research that a bit more, Wikipedia has enough money and almost has always had more than enough, those pleading messages just more so ensure the (far) future of Wikipedia continues
what do you suggest, robbing a bank? if you want something, you have to pay for it, that is how world works.