If you query the lemmy API, you get a ton of fun JSON data:

One thing interesting that I saw was huge lists of other federated servers in the federated_instances dictionary.

There’s three arrays in there:

  1. linked
  2. allowed
  3. blocked

What do each of these mean, and what impact does it have on the server when they’re set to some list of hosts or if they’re null?

  • poVoq@slrpnk.net
    3·
    1 year ago

    The default is that any instance can federate, but only after a user actively requested that it is added to the list of linked instances. There is no central relay or so that tells an instance which other instances exists, so it needs to build up a list of known linked instances.

    • maltfield@lemmy.mlOP
      1·
      1 year ago

      So if a user searches for a community on another instance, does that mean that the instance that they’re following is automatically added to the linked list or no?

      If so, does that happen when they subscribe or when they search?

      • poVoq@slrpnk.net
        2·
        1 year ago

        As far as I know, yes. I am not 100% sure if searching but not interacting is sufficient. But I think a reply is sufficient, not only actual subscriptions.