Reading days ago about the mastodon fame and the problems with others fediverse projects...
Certainly one thing is a consequence of another, but, you have to get into the user's head, often instead people (here)
always thinks like an admin or dev.
Getting into the user's head, the first thing I want to do is: find a site where to register and start experimenting.
If the sites where to register are not found?
Mastodon has thousands of public sites to join.
What is the tendency of the answers when the topic is addressed?
Open your own hub because it's easy... Blah blah blah...
Easy for whom?!?
We must stop thinking that the people who try to use these software are all skilled administrators or creators of sites and programs, we must understand that something to work must be easy starting from the basics.
Take streams for example, or going backwards zap, how long has this been around? How many public sites are there for an ordinary mortal to want to join?
So, going back to the beginning, in your opinion, a person who wants to get out of the usual schemes (Facebook Instagram....) and try something new and ethical, signs up where?
Sadly, I've been here with you for many years, and the trend of the moment is: few or no public sites.
"But hubzilla now has several public sites".. Yes, but how many years did it take? Mastodon how long did it take?
At least 2 or 3 sites open to the public should always exist, to expand and make the project known, clearly this cannot fall on the shoulders of a single person, it would take more people to jump in, to bet, to risk..