cross-posted from: https://lemmy.one/post/81779

Here’s the trick:

[some community](/c/some_community@server.tld)

So:

[WowThisLemmyExists](/c/wowthislemmyexists@lemmy.ca)

Gives us this link: WowThisLemmyExists

Which links to that community… but within the instance you’re currently in! So you can actually subscribe to it!

(Many thanks to the Lemmy Project Chat on Matrix!)

  • BarbarianEnglish
    2·
    2 years ago

    Keep in mind, this does not work in Jerboa. It will open a browser tab trying to go to https:///c/[email protected].

    Also, if nobody in your instance has ever subscribed to that community, it results in a 404 error.

    EDIT: Nobody should be subscribed to this dead-end sub created and abandoned: Link. Should result in a 404 error for everyone not from sh.itjust.works.

    • GuyDudeman@lemmy.oneOPEnglish
      2·
      2 years ago

      Well shit. So is the only way to get to a community (that nobody from your instance has subscribed to) to go to that instance’s community, copy the URL, then go back to your community and paste that URL into the Community Search?

      • BarbarianEnglish
        2·
        2 years ago

        For the time being, yeah. There are multiple github issues open with potential aids to community discoverability and usability, but between lemmy.ml being on fire (recently quenched after moving server… for now), trying to rip WebSockets out of the code before instances hit levels where that’ll cripple performance, and dealing with the ~150 other issues per project that have been opened this week, they’re… a little preoccupied.

  • RadDevon@lemmy.mlEnglish
    0·
    2 years ago

    This is a great tip, but it has one caveat. I believe this will return a 404 (not found) if your instance hasn’t pulled the community yet. If I create a brand new community on one instance, go to another, and click a link like the one you’ve proposed, I will see a 404. Then, if I search for that same community on the instance with the 404, it will find it. I believe at that point, the link will work, although it may require me to click on the search result first before the instance is “aware” of the community.

    At least, that’s the way it worked for me a couple of days ago. 😅

    • maegul (he/they)@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1·
      2 years ago

      Huh … funny … sounds like a bug that could be fixed so that some redirect occurs and you can then subscribe or at least view the community on its original page.