TLDR: To promote unity and simplicity, we're 'merging' with c/Android over at lemdro.id (a new, tech-focused Lemmy server!)
Don't worry, you don't need to make a new account. You can still join it even if your account is on Lemmy.World — just click this link c/Android at Lemdro.id and subscribe, the same way you did here. Indeed, many of you are already based on instances other than LW — that's the handy thing about the fediverse.
Why are you doing this?
We've thought hard on this decision, and had some long chats with not only the team running c/Android over there, but also the admin of lemdro.id itself.
Our feeling, and our decision, is that while having multiple communities for the same topic is a key strength of the fediverse, we're keen to avoid unnecessary fragmentation for existing members and confusion for any newcomers.
As most of you know, the team at lemdro.id are experienced moderators, having run the Android subreddit before The Great API Quake of 2023.
Why don't they simply join us here?
LW is a great instance, but lemdro.id's entire purpose is tech, and its admin is working hard to make it the fastest and most robust instance around for people like us. It's the right home for this community.
How does it benefit me?
We're hopeful that our goal of a community managed by experienced moderators is aligned with your expectations for a well-run, respectful community.
We also believe that a fast, dedicated 'world' of tech communities will prove ideal for people like us — people who expect excellent uptime and reliable, fast loading of its features and functions. (No pressure, lemdro.id team! 😂)
Lastly... Well, see the next point.
What happens to this community?
We have locked this community.
As we've said above, we want to avoid fragmentation and duplication of threads, and that's best achieved by not having two identical communities.
Unfortunately, we can't just pack up all the threads here and take them to lemdro.id, but they'll live on as an archive.
It'll always be here if we need it, but right now it's only a few weeks old — despite its massive growth — which means locking it won't rob us of too much historical content.
See you over at c/Android at Lemdro.id!
Thanks Jeff, I appreciate the candour and respectful response here. I confess I was initially miffed that somebody would promote a 'competing' c here, but I quickly realised I'm not interested in rivalries here. Life's busy enough as it is!
I think we're doing pretty well here, but the idea of an instance dedicated to tech is appealing. Happy to chat about it. I'm @mikestevens on Telegram.