That works as a specific action type thing, but I'd have to remember to go check every person I follow. Also without an account twitter doesn't really let you do much, and sometimes completely blocks me from seeing a post.
Nextclouds docker setup is an absolute disaster, I don't blame you for giving up. It's also slow as molasses to sync anything.
A couple things to look at, I would probably say look at KaraDAV first.
KaraDAV, this is a simple webdav server that's compatible with the Nextcloud sync clients. Uses SQLite for a DB so setup is super simple. Has a basic web based file browser too.
Owncloud Infinite Scale, still a bit of a setup, but it's better than what Nextcloud offers.
Syncthing, this is my current setup, just a robust and solid file sync program. You can pair it up on your server with something like SFTPGo or KaraDAV to provide a web file manager and WebDAV server if you need that. Downside is there's no selective sync or virtual folder support.
What's the solution for transport around farms and factories and such then? Trucks will always be needed.
Or for people in rural areas? Its 10 miles to the grocery store for me, if there was a bike lane or something I'd love to ride an ebike when I have the time and in the summer. But certainly not in the winter, or when I'm short on time and don't have 1+ hours to bike there.
Weight affects basically everything. Less weight means less cost to buy, better range, better handling, less cost of maintenance (brakes, tires, etc), better safety, less getting stuck off-road, and so on..
Testing if it works is a bit of a pain though, because you need to have a wiped phone to restore the backup on to make sure each app restores properly.
Just wanted to point out that if your client is configured properly it won't have any connections while the VPN is down.