im all about "how much shit can i squeeze into my $5 digitalocean server that allows me to host shit for friends with ease and without too much supervision", and it always comes down to like being selective about who you welcome into your community
my friends are way more present on my server than me because i have to watch a baby now but it's really cool to know they are enjoying themselves
it's also just cool practice to explore the lighter alternatives of servers that you can self host