What is an instance? what is a federation? what is a server? can someone please describe in simple terms how this all runs and how we as users navigate it?

  • jpgb@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Hello this is my first comment on Lemmy, so consider me an expert.

    The idea of ‘federated’ websites is that you can use your login from one server to interact with another server. An analogy is email: you can have a gmail account that can send a message to a yahoo account via shared and open source protocols (e.g. SMTP).

    One question I do have though; if I create my account on Lemmy.world and then for whatever reason that instance disappears; does my account disappear or is it recoverable on another instance?

    • Ciren@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Your account would disappear, yes. It’s the same as email really. If Gmail were to be shutdown, your Gmail account would go with it even though everybody using other email services would still see your already sent emails in their local inboxes