The idea behind federated networks is to spread power. If power is truly spread out and people there are as heterogeneous as everywhere else it does mean that

The idea behind federated networks is to spread power. If power is truly spread out and people there are as heterogeneous as everywhere else it does mean that there will be instances that do not agree on the process on how to handle things. That is by design. Long term the only one you as a Mastodon user have to agree with is the administrator of your instance. If you are on a mainstream instance where, let's say, zealots push for an ever smaller overton window and isolate the instance you should, ideally, just switch instances as soon as it starts getting in your way. It is natural that parts of the network will drift in different directions while they iterate on their understanding on how the instance should be governed. Truly problematic are not instances deciding to go strict but platform providers trying to pressure their vague and intransparent rules onto the network. ... also the ever present risk of software developers adding their own hierarchy to the system, but that problem is inherent to all shared protocols.