I like a good UX

I have to laugh at the 100% free moniker. Sure, the CODE is free. Do you seriously think hosting, domains, certificates, maintenance, and everything that goes into an instance just poofs out of nowhere? Seriously?

Lemmy and Mastodon are both paid products. Maybe you don't pay (and you should) but you should disabuse yourself of the illusion that Lemmy just happens.

Even code is not free. Any decent developer writing code does so with an opportunity cost. If those developers want to provide that software to others for free, that’s great. But it still costs their own time and skills that they could be monetizing. For many people it’s a hobby.
- They could also be having a life or idk going to a movie. People that demand software cost $0 either never programmed anything more than a few hundred lines or are iq 2000 coding perfect fully complete applications in ten minutes using cat >
  
  I think the majority of people who demand software cost $0 are hobbyists who write code themselves, but it bothers them that not all developers share their passion. I’ve written a little code and some 3D models that I’ve released under Apache2 / CC-BY, but the vast majority of the code I’ve written in my life was done in exchange for a paycheck.
  
  Probably true. I was a dev briefly and in a limited way. I do it as a hobby. Have a bunch of open source embedded stuff out there and a few other minor things. I don't mind because I did it for me and figured why not share.
  
  Writing a complicated, fully polished, production ready app with a fancy UI is a massive pain for me. So much so that I have never made it that far. I would have to get paid plenty to go to that kind of trouble. Actually no. There's a reason I chose a different career lol.
  
  I guess some people have a talent and passion to do big projects free of charge and open source. Cool for them but no shade to throw at devs that want much deserved compensation!
Certs have been free for years.

Lemny is a "paid product" by your definition, but is still open source...
By 100% free I meant on the end of the client. And it's not like the money from the monetization of sync is going towards hosting lemmy servers.
- And you've missed the point again.
  
  You use Lemmy for 100% free because other people pay to keep the lights on.
  
  Sync is no different. The dev needs to eat.
  
  Then we shall upload the dev to a computer so it does not need to eat.
- Go ahead and reread my comment.
  
  You might use Lemmy for 100% free, but you're being subsidized by the rest of us who pay the hosts to keep these instances alive. THAT is why Lemmy doesn't have ads.
  
  First off, you say the rest of us. Do you support lemmy financially yourself? (Genuine question, not trying to call you our or anything)
  
  But that same thing can be said about all open-source software. I don't fully get your point. The reason the whole sync thing feels wrong to me is just because all that expensive fancy stuff, whether server hosting or the framework and protocol itself, isn't the service you're paying for. All that is free for the end user. Paying for essentially just the UI seems odd. It'd be like having a desktop environment for Linux that's paid only.
  
  I sure do support my instance! And to be clear I'm not trying to be an asshole or be argumentative for no reason. I know I'm acerbic and flippant, but I'm really not trying to just be a contrarian asshole.
  
  Paying for essentially just the UI seems odd
  
  If you don't mind the UX as is, this is true. However. For a lot of people (myself included) Lemmy as it is, is annoying as hell to use. The interface is downright bad at times and most of the 3rd party apps are hot garbage that work when they feel like it. For some people, the web app is great, or Jerboa is great, or whatever iOS client is great (I'm on Android).
  
  Good for them! But for others, they're willing to pay a dev to make a UX that they like. That's literally all it is. There's a group of users who really like what Dawson did with Reddit, and asked him to port that to Lemmy. That's important; he didn't do this for no reason. He cashed in his chips when the API fuckery happened, and only built Sync for Lemmy because there was demand.
  
  And your analogy is apt! There are paid Linux distros; Zorin comes to mind immediately. Despite the fact that you can download any distro you want (or even build your own environment from scratch) there's value in paying a dev to build a better interface. It's as simple as that.

I've gone through this a few times. When he (and his users) realized he wasn't going to continue developing Sync for reddit, he asked us what to do. We requested the Lemmy app. He's always been super receptive to us and we're comfortable supporting him. He's developing it alone and got fucked by a company trying to inflate themselves to cash in on an IPO.

I wasn't asking so much as begging [for Sync]. I kinda wished all the people shitting on the app for gasp charging money would just ignore that it exists and keep using the web. Or go write their own app that is as good and give it away. (Because it's clearly so easy /s)
- Fair enough. There's just been a lot of hot takes from people that don't have the full context.
  
  That's for sure. Yikes. So much outrage it seems like. Idk.

Yes the app developer should totally work for free.

Also servers are free to run yay.

Seriously what in the world?

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- Sync does have it's own servers, that's what ultra is partially. Extra features provided by his servers.
  
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  Everyone in FOSS hates Red Hat...you been reading the news?
  
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This is why lemmy may die.

It is not free. It's not close to free. You can use it for free because someone else is subsidizing your use.

But the money comes from somewhere.

I pay proton to use their webmail service, even though email is a free service.

I pay to register a domain name even though typing URLs into a browser are free.

I pay to host my website even though visiting websites is free.

Right?

It bothers me a lot. Also considering OP and the ones with the same thoughts are using lemmy instead of reddit but still support fucking sync, i realize all of them are hypocrite or just stupid.

I only used Reddit because of Sync. I don't give a shit what site provides the content. I want the revenue for the app to go to the UX creator.
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  I didn't say I don't support the infrastructure,and it's an incorrect inference you make of my preferences. My position is "yes pay for UX." My (unstated) position is also "yes, pay for infrastructure, but be willing to move instead of being tied to hosts"
  
  You seem to infer that bc I am willing to pay for UX, I'm against paying for the servers, which simply isn't true or what I said.
- If you are saying i dont give a fuck about privacy policy of company, ideas and believes of company owners and other shit; if you are saying just give me content and better ux, then it seems that we are not same. cant argue with that.
  
  I didn't say any of that. I am saying I care about the UX first. I don't use meta/Twitter/alphabet social products for these reasons.
  
  I would like to see instances also get a funding mechanism to support them without corporate overlords.
  
  If you care more about your experience, then go pay to reddit and get an api key, then use some 3rd party app that suits you. Also reddit has a lot more content and more active
  
  No?
  
  May I politely ask why? Since you can have a lot more content and desired interface.
  
  This recent trend of people telling other people to go back to reddit over (frankly minor) disagreements is ironically really reddit-esque behaviour, imo. That website was atrocious for gatekeeping behaviours.
  
  "Our community is not like reddit!" Uh- huh. All of that stuff seems to be moving to lemmy, too.
  
  Anyways, thank you for not randomly name calling like some other people are.
  
  I actually can't have my desired interface, as Sync for Reddit was what I wanted and stated clearly.
What do you think is wrong about sync? The developer has had a low cost well supported product for quite a while. I must be missing your point.
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  At the federal minimum wage in the US, it's a little under three hours of work. Assuming full time work, that would be .14% of the gross income for the year. As a nonrecurring purchase, that seems low cost to me.
- Makes money over fediverse
  
  Closed source
  
  Collects data
  
  nothing wrong with that
  
  nothing wrong with that
  
  the data collection modules have not been initialized in the Sync code
  
  But continue evangelizing.
  
  Wtf you mean by "nothing wrong with that", if its not wrong then fuck off from lemmy, go to reddit there is a lot more content over there
  
  And how the fuck do you know the data collection modules are not initialized, and will not be initialized
  
  Why do you assume that content is the reason I chose a platform? Why do you gatekeep and dictate people's choices?
  
  And also from the Sync discord:
  
  Because you all mentioning about ux again and again, which is all about interface and content for a forum platform. Before 20 years tracking and subscription models werent around but now they are everywhere and people slowly became ignorant(especially post-millenial people). As a result we now dont give a fuck about free, open sourced, private things. Thats why i am judging, but if there are things i miss please dm me, i would really like to hear where i am mistaken.
  
  Sorry about data tracking, i didnt know
  
  I'll be transparent as to why I paid. And I only speak for me, not any other Sync user. Sync has been the app I used the most in the past decade. Sync has been what I - personally and subjectively - found to be my ideal android app experience, above all other apps. The majority of the time my phone is on is with Sync open. And this was all for free, for nearly a decade.
  
  Reddit has taken that away from me. And the reason I'm willing to pay is to compensate the Sync dev for the value he has personally given me. While I believe in FOSS, I believe more in the principle of fair trade. And I have judged that, in my specific circumstance, he has given me more in value over the past 10 years than the price he currently asks for. And again, I only speak for myself.
  
  And yes, the source of information comes from the serving platform (whether that's Reddit or Lemmy instances). I would have been willing to pay for a Reddit API key if that meant being able to keep Sync. But they don't offer it. And once I am able to migrate my profile to a different instance, I plan on donating to that instance if they take donations.
  
  I've done the same with any service that has given me value, including Wikipedia. Again, this is based on fair trade and value.
  
  Fair enough, have fun browsing lemmy over sync.
  
  But i still recommend and hope all to use foss
Seems a strange thing to be bothered by to that extent.

"all of them are hypocrite" what is this imaginary group being hypocritical about?
- We are using lemmy, because its foss, because it doesnt commercialize anything, because its decentralized; if thats not the case for you just use reddit, there is a lot more content over there.
  
  Sync is making money over fediverse, closed source, and collects data. So now, can you see the point?
  
  This type of comment and attitude is what reeks in FOSS. Really unfortunate.
  
  So defending basic ideas of FOSS is what reeks in foss. If this is what you think, pls no need to discuss further
  
  No, defending FOSS is not what reeks, it's how people zealously go about defending it that does.
  
  But you're right, no need to discuss further.
  
  Fuck right off with the gatekeeping you melt of a man child.
  
  You are using lemmy because it's FOSS, because it doesn't commercialise anything, because its decentralised.
  
  Chill out
  
  If you dont use becuase what i have listed, there is no reason to stay here, just go where the content is more, and you can easily pay for api key and use custom interface for reddit.
  
  Instead of spending your time with raging to a random stranger on internet, just ignore or logically discuss with me.
What in the world are you on about?
Oh the irony of this comment.. calling others hypocritical and stupid when they themselves don't have the full context into the reason people beg for Sync... The irony is too strong
- If its closed source, have a subscription model, and collects data i would rather not use that 3rd party app. Those things come before UX for me and if you are someone who came from reddit(like me) instead of payin for an api key and still use 3rd party app you must have the same side with me or you are just lying to yourself or dont know why left reddit(i expressed this situation with stupidity).
  
  As i said, there is a lot more content on reddit, go over there pay what you pay to sync for lemmy and use reddit. Same thing with lots of more content.
  
  You are entitled to make any assumptions you want about my choice. I'm glad you have your criteria for choosing the platforms and apps you like, and I celebrate that.
  
  Unfortunately, you don't really know my reasoning for my choice of platform and app, so telling me to go to Reddit based on your mis-assumptions about why I like Lemmy and Sync really highlights the core issue here.
  
  Anyway, good luck to you bud. I hope you have a great Friday.