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Connect with other self-hosting enthusiasts, get help with your projects, and share your experiences in these active communities.

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Reddit Communities

Active subreddits focused on self-hosting:

r/selfhosted

The primary Reddit community for self-hosting discussions. Share your setups, ask questions, and discover new projects.Topics: Self-hosting, homelab, privacy, open source

r/homelab

Discussions about home server setups, networking, and infrastructure. Great for hardware and networking questions.Topics: Server hardware, networking, virtualization

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Lemmy Communities

Federated, open-source Reddit alternatives for self-hosting discussions:

c/selfhosted on lemmy.world

Large and active self-hosting community on the Lemmy federated platform.Platform: Lemmy (federated)

c/selfhost on lemmy.ml

Another active self-hosting community on Lemmy’s flagship instance.Platform: Lemmy (federated)
Lemmy is a federated platform, so you can participate in these communities from any Lemmy instance or compatible ActivityPub platform.

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Matrix Chat

Real-time chat for self-hosting discussions:

r/selfhosted Matrix Channel

Bridged Matrix channel for the r/selfhosted community. Real-time chat with other self-hosters.Platform: Matrix (decentralized)Features:
  • Real-time support and discussions
  • Bridged to other platforms
  • End-to-end encryption support
  • Open protocol
New to Matrix? You can join using clients like Element, FluffyChat, or any other Matrix-compatible client.

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IndieWeb Community

IndieWeb

A community focused on owning your online identity and content. Emphasis on personal websites, decentralization, and open standards.Focus Areas:
  • Personal websites and blogs
  • Owning your content and data
  • Open web standards (Webmention, Micropub, etc.)
  • Decentralized social networking

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Choosing a Community

Different communities have different strengths:
Best for:
  • Long-form discussions and guides
  • Searchable post history
  • Upvote/downvote system for quality content
  • Large, established user base
Considerations:
  • Centralized platform
  • Requires Reddit account
Best for:
  • Federated, decentralized alternative to Reddit
  • Open source platform
  • Own your data and identity
  • Similar features to Reddit
Considerations:
  • Smaller communities (growing)
  • Multiple instances to choose from
Best for:
  • Real-time support and quick questions
  • Live discussions
  • Building connections with other self-hosters
  • Decentralized, encrypted communication
Considerations:
  • Fast-moving conversations
  • Less searchable than forums
Best for:
  • Philosophy of web ownership
  • Building personal websites
  • Open web standards
  • Decentralization advocacy
Considerations:
  • More focused on personal web presence
  • Technical emphasis on web standards

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Community Guidelines

When participating in these communities:
1

Search First

Before asking questions, search the community for existing discussions. Many common questions have detailed answers.
2

Be Specific

Provide details about your setup, what you’ve tried, and what errors you’re encountering. Logs and configuration snippets help others assist you.
3

Share Your Solutions

When you solve a problem, share your solution. It helps others facing similar issues.
4

Be Respectful

Remember that most community members are volunteers helping in their free time. Be patient and respectful.
5

Contribute Back

As you gain experience, help newer members. The self-hosting community thrives on mutual support.

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Getting Help

When seeking help in these communities:
  • Include system information: OS, hardware specs, relevant software versions
  • Describe the problem clearly: What you expected vs. what actually happened
  • Share relevant logs: Error messages and log entries (use pastebin services for long logs)
  • Show your configuration: Relevant config files (remove sensitive information)
  • Mention what you’ve tried: Steps already taken to troubleshoot

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Additional Resources