some projects/ideas i found in the last couple of years, that try to solve our current problem of the internet being a centralized structure that is controllable by big corporations or governments and not so easily usable with mesh technology or when not being connected for long amounts of time
https://scuttlebutt.nz/docs/introduction/
https://yggdrasil-network.github.io/
https://www.inverse.com/science/39507-mesh-networks-net-neutrality-fcc
https://redecentralize.github.io/alternative-internet/
https://github.com/cjdelisle/cjdns
You don’t have to pay relays to use nostr. Been using Nostr for a while and love it, it’s an underlying protocol like AP is for Lemmy, Kbin, mastodon, etc. The main “interface” for it right now is as a twitter clone.
You don’t lose your identity if your instance shuts down which is a major pro (Bluesky also has this advantage over AP). The UX is a little less polished than Mastodon but I find the underlying tech concepts more solid, privacy respecting, and censorship-resistant. For example, DMs are automatically encrypted so relay operators can’t read them.