How does having an account per onstance work?

skye@lemmy.world to Ask Lemmy@lemmy.world – 2 points –

For context i did not know you can use an account from a single instance to post on another. With this in mind I have a few questions:

  1. If I can use one instance account everywhere, why can I make multiple accounts?
  2. Why isn't there a centralised account system?
  3. What's the use of having per instance accounts?

I'm currently considering keeping this main account and deleting the ones on other instances, because if i can interact with those instances I don't see the need for an account.

2

  1. It's probably better to think of each instance as its own website, except each website can talk to any other website. You can make multiple accounts because each instance is standalone (think of them like separate forums, if it helps), they don't share account data with each other.
  2. There's not meant to be. Accounts are owned by each individual website, and the entire system is designed to be entirely decentralised.
  3. In practical use, not much, but depending on how each instance federates, you may find it useful to view content that is blocked by one instance and not on another.

its a funny hybrid model, since i can subscribe to communities outside of my primary instance, and vote, comment, ect on them!