Yeah, I totally get it. I’ve run into the same thing plenty of times. Experienced self hosting folks aren’t always the most helpful. AI can give beginners a hand, but you still need to know what you’re asking it to do and double check its answers, since it can make stuff up.

As for the advanced users not always being supportive…not sure that’s something you can change easily. But I do think there’s a lot of potential in a tool or resource that helps beginners step into self hosting safely, get the basics down, and have something solid to build on later.

Yeah, self‑hosting without some basic knowledge can be risky, especially when handling sensitive data. At the same time, very strict warnings, even if well‑meaning, can be intimidating for newcomers.

Self hosting isn’t for everyone, of course, but for those genuinely interested, even if they don’t have years of technical experience, there could be a safer, guided first step. Something that helps people learn the basics while keeping their setup secure and giving them confidence to explore further.

Yeah, I think you’re right, it’s often not intentional gatekeeping. Totally understandable, especially when people have seen the same beginner questions a hundred times before.

But that raises another question: if beginners can’t easily ask for help, where can they turn to safely learn the basics?

Does everyone really have to go through the same painful trial-and-error process alone? Of course, there’s a certain beauty in figuring things out the hard way, that’s how many of us learned, but it could be easier. Maybe there’s room for a solution, a tool or an approach that helps beginners understand what’s happening under the hood, while also taking some of the burden off advanced users who just want things to work smoothly or recover quickly when something goes wrong.

You’re right, a certain level of knowledge is essential for safe self-hosting.

The goal isn’t to remove that responsibility, but to lower the initial barrier so people can start learning in a safer, more guided way.

And yes, we’re currently in the testing and feedback phase, so conversations like this are valuable. I’m also interested in hearing broader perspectives from people involved in self-hosting, not just those testing the project.