Ask HN: What would make self-hosting easy enough for average consumers?

In the recent days I've realized that people want more control over their digital data, this became more apparent to me when I saw Sony getting backlash on their recent announcements. People are considering to even pirate music again just because they want more control over their data.

So I've been wondering that almost every household now has some amount of digital data that needs to be taken care of. Some having more data than others.

Considering the current situation of self hosting and NAS products, what do you think needs to change to make an average consumer even consider self hosting or a NAS product?

4 points | by dani4299 3 hours ago

1 comments

  • smalltorch 2 hours ago
    I feel nerd sniped.

    Onion services. Just make it normal. Some may say that's overkill. It's really not today.

    It happens to be the best way to self-host with privacy by default.

    I don't buy that they are too slow. Its not. It's perfectly adequate.

    [-]
    • dani4299 2 hours ago
      Onion services never came in my mind tbh, but I think the core problem with onion services is the same with most NAS products and self hosting services out there. Most of the average consumers don't know what Onion services are, plus the technical knowledge barrier is still there, which is the main reason average consumers don't adopt self hosting. Which leaves us with the main question again, which technical barrier has to be removed to make the average consumer even consider self hosting in the first place?
      [-]
      • setnone 51 minutes ago
        > which technical barrier has to be removed to make the average consumer even consider

        that would be all technical barriers removed at once in an affordable, expandable and good looking personal server device i guess

      • smalltorch 2 hours ago
        Three commands and you can transform the old phone, computer into a usable service and access it worldwide and its costs nothing.

        Perhaps it's just the knowledge that that is possible. People want digital sovereignty. They just don't know how easy it can be.

        Most people have an old Mac, used phone in the drawer collecting dust already. The barrier is extremely low.