@modem_down@thebrainbin.org So, let me reexplain, since there's also some inaccuracy in what I said in the last message.

When you go to the frontpage of your instance, https://thebrainbin.org/, it lists all the posts your instance is aware of. You can switch between microblog posts, Lemmy threads, and a combined view in the top bar.

Above the list of posts, but below the top bar, there should be another bar with a few dropdown options. I can see it when I visit that URL on your instance.

From left to right, those options are:

• the list's sorting method (default depends on the instance I assume, you can set your own in the settings)
• how old listed posts are allowed to be (defaults to no limit)
• What kind of posts you want to see (links vs text vs images vs videos, defaults to all)
• The list type of you want to see (this is the one you want)
• The federation option, which lets you choose to see federated content from other instances or only content from your own instance

The one we want is the fourth dropdown, and it's only visible when logged in. The dropdown lets you choose between viewing all the posts on the instance (that fit the other filters), only posts from communities or users you're subscribed to / following, only posts from communities you're a moderator of, or only posts you upvoted.

Contrary to what I said earlier, it seems that while the dropdown does exist in magazines, there's no subscribed option there, only all and upvotes.

Those options exist on all of the threads, microblog, and combined views. Except for the post type filter, that one isn't available for microblogs.

If you want a direct link, this should get you to the subscribed list: https://thebrainbin.org/sub It's what selecting the option in the dropdown loads up.

You can change some of the defaults in the settings. Like what sort to use and whether the frontpage should load up all posts or just subscribed ones by default without the /sub attached.

This used to be simpler in my opinion. Back on /kbin (but I forgot if it was /kbin later on or Mbin that changed this), Mbin was forked from /kbin, this dropdown was actually placed next to the search button in the top bar, and visible anywhere on the site. Acting as a shortcut to those lists. I'm not sure why they changed its location.

To see only followed people's posts, without seeing subscribed communities' posts, I don't think there's much of a way.

However, since microblog posts on communities are still rare, one thing you can do is to browse the subscribed microblog feed, https://thebrainbin.org/sub/microblog, as then mostly the people you follow should appear on, and rarely posts to communities.

In that line, you can also go to the general settings, https://thebrainbin.org/settings/general, and set "Homepage" as "Subscriptions", and "Front page default view" as "Microblog", so https://thebrainbin.org/ becomes a mirror of https://thebrainbin.org/sub/microblog.