> Why do you draw this distinction between "instances" and "peers"
I understand why you ask this, but the word "instance" has come to mean the server running something like MediaGoblin or Mastodon (the server in a server/client model), while a "peer" is an end-user device running a P2P app like BitTorrent or ScuttleButt (that is both client and server). P2P networks have their cons, but the major pro for a network not backed by large wads of capital is that they scale as they add users. Server-to-server federated networks using OStatus, Diaspora protocol, Zot, or ActivityPub have to scale by convincing people with scarce sysadmin skills to set up more servers, and figure out how to sustain them (both organizationally and financially).
> My experience is that users really like [retweeting/sharing] features.
Sure, but that doesn't mean every piece of network software needs to have them. They are one of the key tools for abusing The Stacks; post something you want to trend (spam, fake news), get a botnet of zombie users to boost it. Given the way Scuttlebutt transports and stores posts, they would create a lot of extra overhead, and potential for abuse, for no major benefit (people can always cut'n'paste if they really want to reshare).
I understand why you ask this, but the word "instance" has come to mean the server running something like MediaGoblin or Mastodon (the server in a server/client model), while a "peer" is an end-user device running a P2P app like BitTorrent or ScuttleButt (that is both client and server). P2P networks have their cons, but the major pro for a network not backed by large wads of capital is that they scale as they add users. Server-to-server federated networks using OStatus, Diaspora protocol, Zot, or ActivityPub have to scale by convincing people with scarce sysadmin skills to set up more servers, and figure out how to sustain them (both organizationally and financially).
> My experience is that users really like [retweeting/sharing] features.
Sure, but that doesn't mean every piece of network software needs to have them. They are one of the key tools for abusing The Stacks; post something you want to trend (spam, fake news), get a botnet of zombie users to boost it. Given the way Scuttlebutt transports and stores posts, they would create a lot of extra overhead, and potential for abuse, for no major benefit (people can always cut'n'paste if they really want to reshare).