@J12t it also depends on the targeted audience... MySQL (under Monty) and MariaDB are IMHO very good examples of a successful model, but it can't apply as easily to end-user software, and I think a end-user server application like Mastodon adds yet another level of complexity.

I've suggested before that social networking mbe provided by ISPs as standard service offering. That wouldn't prevent anyone from using a third party but could cover the majority of users and moderation work...