Forums and Social Nodes You Run Yourself
Updated 2026-06-22 · 10 min read · By Ben Liu
Moderation load, federation choices, and security expectations for community software.
Moderation is the product
Software is the easy part. Spam, harassment, and illegal content handling will consume time. Write rules before inviting strangers.
Federation multiplies reach and moderation complexity. Start private or invite-only unless you are ready for public internet dynamics.
Ops expectations
Plan media storage growth, image proxying, and backup of attachments. Public communities attract scanners — patch promptly.
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