It is a wholly different experience. I do wish there was a kind of bridge where I could still follow particular individuals, since I did like them, but on the whole not be blasted with inane posts. Still, I am thinking that I might want that some times, just an overflow of humanity, see what the water is like across the globe.
Like, I did make friends, it is wonderful. One thing I never do is show my face for anything, but the willingness to do so does create an extraordinary intimacy that has probably lead to great conversations, changes in hormones, and bursts of feel-good neurotransmitters.
I have no idea what you mean by slow development, or more specifically what you are waiting on to get implemented. Lemmy is still fairly new so a lot is changing, but I doubt it will keep going at that pace once it matures.