I started my own server to get out of reddit. I didn’t like the feed and felt like it was being dishonest with me, so I came to this protocol and set up a server with a feed I control.... work in progress TBH. We exploit the algorithms for small hits of dopamine and pick me ups .. but its not a very evolved state of being.
What you’re asking for, I think, is to use these systems for something other than a feed. You want a community....connection... I appreciate you pointing that out.... I do want the community. It also feels like maybe more than what people want to give ... so a small corner of your world makes sense. I see that it may be busted as you say.. hrm. Or I'm busted? We're busted?
On the url requirement, those of us who control the ranking on our own instances .. could look at ways to surface content that doesn’t have a link attached. If its already running with mass links... a bolt on mechanism to analyze posts for original thought, empathy, kindness, connection, ....ick, maybe even run that through a decision model to bring those posts forward. I don’t know what that would do to the fediverse as a whole. Another simple option is channels or servers that don’t allow urls at all, just text...just talk.
Thanks for getting the wheels turning on this.