I don't think you've been making that point based on your statements.
Add perpetual maintenance and updates to your list... Just because the framework was already there doesn't mean there isn't value in the product and the dev can decide what his time and product are worth. Just don't buy it and use something free.
Reddit = 60000000 daily active users
Lemmy = maybe somewhere between 50k and 100k daily active users? I feel like that's being generous
It's just economies of scale. He's selling to a much smaller market
lol. Don't use it? Not everyone cares, no need to share here. I recommend you quit your job and dedicate yourself to the FOSS community.
I kept trying other apps for lemmy but none of them really felt right. I've been on lemmy way more lately with Sync...
It's pretty steep. But I appreciate the option at least. I generally hate apps that only give subscriptions so at least it's here and the dev has every right to charge what he feels it is worth (likewise you have every right to not see that value). I'll probably pick it up in a few weeks
All of those can be changed in the settings. There are so many settings it can be difficult to find though.
I had to change my password... Super weird. There must be some symbol causing issues