Lemmy

create a central Lemmy redirection service

This is contrary to what the Fediverse is about. [[email protected]](/c/[email protected]) is already unique and an identifier to universally refer to that community. It automatically links to https://your-instance-URL/c/[email protected] which makes absolute sense, because you have an account on your instance.

If you want to visit [[email protected]](/c/[email protected]) just open the link with your instance. Either by using the URL or by cop&pasting the URL into the search field, or by something like lemmy Link in your browser.

Beside Lemmy 0.18.0 linking primarily to your own instance's mirror of the community from other instance, there is also a browser addon trying to solve this issue if you ever end up on a wrong instance. (If you do not find the button to redirect to your instance, try refreshing the page.)

There's an issue about it https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy-ui/issues/1227

If you link [[email protected]](/c/[email protected]) the URL should be c/[email protected], instead ate the moment the URL is https://instance.tld/c/community

on version v0.18.0 if you write [email protected] it should create a link that points to that community on your instance.

Usability-wise - absolutely agreed. I do wonder if it's possible to implement it on a technical level in a way that does not cripple smaller instances.

Posts and comments have yet to be implemented in this way, but instance-agnostic links already work for communities. Simply typing [email protected] or [email protected] or whatever will give you a link which redirects users to that page on their instance. Your instance might have to be running the latest Lemmy version, though.