Since the Reddit debacle, I've been paying attention to Lemmy again, and more recently kbin (collectively known as the Threadiverse). The good news: this time around, some instance admins have a clue for a change, and talk about building community. Trouble is, they still de-emphasize people. Tip: any community is made of people, pretty much by definition. News and discussions don't just hang in the sky, much in the same way bricks don't.
Also, they still don't get privacy over there. Hard pass... again. Maybe third time will be the charm. But not this year.