The term server used to refer to a computer, running something like a web page. People connect to that specific server.
In discord, a server is just a name for a community, a label for your group. You can change channels, add new voice chats, change the icon, set up rules, bots to enforce rules, roles, pings for those roles, etc.
But at the end of the day those files are stored with discord, on discord’s “servers” as in traditional server infrastructure. If discord decides all servers must serve a number of “sponsored posts” in general chat, for instance, you can’t just not comply. Your server is part of their infrastructure. They can do what they want when they want. If discord decides to go paid only, you can’t keep your server free, as another example. You cannot self host the actual files or software that makes up your discord server.
superglue@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 week ago
Discord calls it a server but its really just a different term for a chat room. Discord does not allow you to host on your own infrastructure its all locked down and closed source.