I think that is pretty fair, but maybe I am more interested in the "keeping it running" component. Labor of love and donations can only go so far. When a env/population outpaces love and donations, what keeps the servers online? Does the decentralized nature of Mastodon minimize cost? Or has it just not reached a critical mass?

Im more interested in the Mastodon/Bluesky approach to re-decentralizing (we had thriving forums long ago). But eventually cost does add up and monetization (or a benevolent benefactor) has to be considered.