With Lemmy and an open source app on an open source platform you're owning the means of production. We don't need mass adoption, just enough users with a higher level of engagement. We're now there, or close.
As long as you do it on your subscribed communities. With the volume going up time to become more focused: /c/technology noise level is getting too high.
Yes, if all the MTA admins refused to SMTP with Google, Microsoft and Yahoo right from the start email would still work. Right now it doesn't. We don't want a repeat of that, so let's defederate from any big corp or anyone who federates with any such.
You might find https://surplusenergyeconomics.wordpress.com/2023/07/18/259-the-way-we-live-next/ interesting.