Interesting to see *D getting a mainstream mention, even though it's kinda in a post-Ello context. (They are two VERY different things). Yes, I've been on *D for a couple years or so now and - though I'm generally not super-active on there - I like it and it prob took the recent Ello bubble to make me re-appreciate just how good it is.
People built this without angel-investment, and continue to work and improve it because they want to.
Think about that for a moment.