create a central Lemmy redirection service

This is contrary to what the Fediverse is about. [!risa@startrek.website](/c/risa@startrek.website) is already unique and an identifier to universally refer to that community. It automatically links to https://your-instance-URL/c/risa@startrek.website which makes absolute sense, because you have an account on your instance.

If you want to visit [!risa@startrek.website](/c/risa@startrek.website) just open the link with your instance. Either by using the URL or by cop&pasting the URL into the search field, or by something like lemmy Link in your browser.

There's an issue about it https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy-ui/issues/1227

If you link [!community@instance.tld](/c/community@instance.tld) the URL should be c/community@instance.tld, instead ate the moment the URL is https://instance.tld/c/community

Beside Lemmy 0.18.0 linking primarily to your own instance's mirror of the community from other instance, there is also a browser addon trying to solve this issue if you ever end up on a wrong instance. (If you do not find the button to redirect to your instance, try refreshing the page.)

on version v0.18.0 if you write !risa@startrek.website it should create a link that points to that community on your instance.

Posts and comments have yet to be implemented in this way, but instance-agnostic links already work for communities. Simply typing !memes@lemmy.ml or !bicycles@lemmy.ca or whatever will give you a link which redirects users to that page on their instance. Your instance might have to be running the latest Lemmy version, though.

Usability-wise - absolutely agreed. I do wonder if it's possible to implement it on a technical level in a way that does not cripple smaller instances.