So like, how does Lemmy work?

When I click on a post, let's say Lemmy.World, that server sends me the page over the Internet. I get that part. But how does it do comments? Does it tell my phone to go ask lemm.ee and blahaj servers, etc, and fetch the comments?

And why does a post on lemmy.world have have a blahaj URL when I look at it? Is my server making a copy?

I'm ready to graduate from my Raspberry Pi era of selfhosting and buy hardware specifically for use as a server.

I've been recommended in the past to look for used Lenovo Thinkstations and/or Dell Optiplex, but it has been so many years since I've shopped for a computer, I don't know what kind of specs to look for. What are the types of specs I should look for to get the best value for money?

I'm hoping to spend around $300-400, get something that can be upgraded in the future to last 10+ years, and do the following things:

• YUNoHost / reverse proxy
• Nextcloud with a custom domain for email addresses, cloud drive, photos
• Music Streaming with something like Navidrome
• Serve static websites
• pi-Hole
• Maybe pi-VPN

And someday maybe:

• Host game servers like minecraft
• Jellyfin for videos
• Kodi and output to TV?

So far based on my selfhosted journey, I expect to want the following:

• Room for 3+ Hard Drives
• External UPS (probably will go with the cheap APC at Microcenter that's always on sale).
• Solid Power Supply / Cooling
• probably 1000 gigabit Networking (?)

The types of questions I have for Thinkstations / Optiplex:

• How is the Power Supply / Cooling?
• Processor? Do I need i5? i7? Generations? AMD? Clock Speed? I'm completely lost here.
• How much RAM do I need?
• Do I need a discrete graphics card? Can Thinkstations / Optiplex have a graphics card added to them later?
• Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks!

Isn't it supposed to be ice creams and milkshakes and stuff?

My first PC ever built is sort of unusable in its current state, and there are a few things I could do:

• Update necessary parts and keep it as a retro-media-compatible PC/nas/server. I love how it has a floppy drive!
• Get rid of it and save money

If I wanted to replace it, I would need to get at minimum:

• motherboard
• ram
• CPU

I'm hoping I can keep using the following parts, some of which have been updated over the years:

• pcie 2.0 graphics card
• 500 W power supply
• monitor / peripherals
• optical / floppy drives
• SSD / HDD
• ATX case (the original case and motherboard PCI slots never lined up quite correctly...) Cooler Master centurion (?)

I've never done anything like this, and last time I built a PC was in 2006. I lack a lot of knowledge...

1. Is my case likely to be compatible with a modern motherboard?
2. Can I buy a modern motherboard/CPU that will be compatible with this other stuff?
3. Would it be less expensive to buy another used PC and use its motherboard/CPU ?

I really liked this SSH client, but I can't find it on the play store and I can't find any recent news. Does anyone know why it was taken down?

Edit: it's back up now, sorry for not checking. But it was down earlier this week when I was trying to install it. Would still like to know what happened, if it wasn't a random Google problem.

Somewhat anti climactic.

Inspired by that other thread about backing in to parking spaces.