If they can assume I'm a teenager by default then they should also assume I don't have a job and can't pay for nitro. Seems fair to me.
this post was submitted on 26 Feb 2026
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Fuck Subscriptions
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21 users here now
Naming and shaming all "recurring spending models" where a one-time fee (or none at all) would be appropriate and logical.
Expect use of strong language.
Follow the basic rules of lemmy.world and common sense, and try to have fun if possible.
No flamewars or attacking other users, unless they're spineless corporate shills.
Note that not all subscriptions are awful. Supporting your favorite ~~camgirl~~ creator or Lemmy server on Patreon is fine. An airbag with subscription is irl Idiocracy-level dystopian bullshit.
New community rule: Shilling for cunty corporations, their subscriptions and other anti-customer practices may result in a 1-day ban. It's so you can think about what it's like when someone can randomly decide what you can and can't use, based on some arbitrary rules. Oh what, you didn't read this fine print? You should read what you're agreeing to.
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Some other groovy communities for those who wish to own their products, their data and their life:
Some other useful links:
Louis Rossman's YouTube channel
Look at content hosted at Big Tech without most of the nonsense:
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
I like the way you think.
"they should just ask the parents"
If you're still using Discord, consider the wealth of alternatives:
Matrix is the federated option. Allows self-hosting with federation, has encryption (though it seems to have vulnerabilities - be mindful), supports both public and private rooms. Does not support voice or video.
Stoat, formerly Revolt, is a very close analog. It's FOSS, and is self-hostable, but does not federate - users on a private instance will not be able to interact with users on the public one. Supports voice; video not yet supported (I don't believe) but is on the roadmap.
Root is very close to Discord but is closed source. Supports voice and video.
Fluxer is another close analog. Supports voice and video (and has the highest quality streaming out of all of them). Has an optional Nitro-like subscription (cheaper than Nitro, offers more) to fund it. It's FOSS and supports self-hosting.
I would like to add Movim to this list. It's developed on the XMPP standard. The developer is even adding "Spaces" to match Discord's server/community style, using existing XMPP standards to maintain compatibility.
It's not a one-to-one, but it's more secure, decentralized, self-hostable, open-source, and can fill a few bonus niches (like blogging or Facebook replacement).
we should just never consider proprietary apps. they are vulnerable to the same shenanigans as discord and we shouldn't build our communities around it.
Yep!
I'm literally watching a open source project go into shambles right now.
I saw the migration from their open-source forums, to slack, to discord, all within 9 years.
Root says in their privacy policy that they record calls, don't they?
Only mention of it I can find is:
User-generated Content
Messages, pictures, and files are stored ONLY so that recipients can receive them and users can access their message history. Voice, video, and screensharing calls are transmitted in real time. Root does not record or store these calls. User data is not sold to third parties and is not used to train AI models.
I'm pretty sure I saw some dodgy shit in their TOS or Privacy Policy, but maybe I'm hyper vigilant now with all the curbstomping of privacy.
If you want to dig it up, I'll add the disclaimer to that post. It's just a copy/paste post I've been using any time Discord's shitty behavior comes up, so it would be nice to have more information if it exists.
Element is one we're also looking at. Made by Matrix creators. Community Edition as well.
Element is a client that uses the Matrix protocol, not a separate thing on its own.
It's a Matrix distribution but they have clients named the same. Not confusing at all.
Isnt it server specific if Matrix can or can not user voice/video? There is also a jitsi plugin/extension?
Well additional its Client based, so really not to recommend until its widely adopted.
I'm just going to wait until one of two emerge as the favoured alternatives.
I'm not installing 4+ separate VOIP/chat apps.
Eventually larger communities will move over and I'll install the apps which has those communities my friends use.
Nitro cost more than my mobile phone plan.