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> Then the next-generation P2P network (BitTorrent) decided that it was easier just to rely on HTTP for metadata exchange and went to centralized trackers, and

> Then the next-generation P2P network (BitTorrent) decided that it was easier just to rely on HTTP for metadata exchange and went to centralized trackers, and the ecosystem that grew up around BitTorrent realized branding & centralized search engines were important for non-technical users and we got big torrent search engines like ThePirateBay and Mininova. Followed by those trackers getting taken down, we went from distributing .torrent files over HTTP, to distributing magnet links and getting the torrent metadata over DHT.

nostrademons 10y ago
Yeah, Bittorrent has actually gotten more decentralized in recent years, both on the tracker front and on an increasing number of Torrent search engines being small operations. I just find it sad that apparently the only reason that things tend to get more distributed is to evade some powerful authority. I wanted distributed systems to become mainstream, because of their freedom, equality, & competition benefits, but it appears that when given the choice, the mainstream would rather play kingmaker and live under centralized overlords.
- badloginagain 10y ago
  > Yeah, Bittorrent has actually gotten more decentralized in recent years Only due to sustained pressure to keep it decentralized. If TPB was acquired by Google and rebranded to 'Google Bay', bittorrent would be just another Google fiefdom, and be as entrenched as Docs or YouTube. >I wanted distributed systems to become mainstream, because of their freedom, equality, & competition benefits Unfortunately you're in the vast minority of people who understand what distributed systems are, and how to connect them to anything as abstract as freedom, equality, etc. Most people just want an easy-to-remember, easier-to-use, not sketchy looking way to consume content. Profit-seeking companies are simply better equipped and more motivated to provide that service than the open-source community is, because they don't have to worry about freedom, equality, and certainly competition.
  - battlebot 10y ago
    You act like none of this had any effect but you forget that once upon a time if you wanted to buy a song, you were forced to either purchase a CD with a lot of other songs you didn't want, or you could maybe pick up a 45rpm single record, or you could make a tape of the song off the radio. This technology has led us to being able to buy pretty much any song we want for $2 or so and it also completely gutted the music industry to the point where barely any new bands exist in the mainstream anymore. Technology is a double-edged sword. We seem to be sitting in a lull between great new innovations. But don't worry, that lull isn't going to last much longer.
- gozur88 10y ago
  But once these kinds of distributed schemes are developed they're available for other things. The real problem is any time you develop a system a government doesn't control they can always shut it down by convincing the average joe that it's just being used for child porn.
- intended 10y ago
  You forget that the mainstream had no choice. The old centralized authorities fought and fought hard. As an older user I'm surprised you conceded this point so quickly by calling it copyright infringement. These are the same guys who made CDs cost magically more than cassettes, stood at every juncture against moving society forwards and have constantly pushed American copy right life higher because they can afford the lawyers normal people can't. People didn't give up anything - they lost something they didn't know they had because media firms beat them.

nostrademons 10y ago

Yeah, Bittorrent has actually gotten more decentralized in recent years, both on the tracker front and on an increasing number of Torrent search engines being small operations. I just find it sad that apparently the only reason that things tend to get more distributed is to evade some powerful authority. I wanted distributed systems to become mainstream, because of their freedom, equality, & competition benefits, but it appears that when given the choice, the mainstream would rather play kingmaker and live under centralized overlords.

badloginagain 10y ago
> Yeah, Bittorrent has actually gotten more decentralized in recent years Only due to sustained pressure to keep it decentralized. If TPB was acquired by Google and rebranded to 'Google Bay', bittorrent would be just another Google fiefdom, and be as entrenched as Docs or YouTube. >I wanted distributed systems to become mainstream, because of their freedom, equality, & competition benefits Unfortunately you're in the vast minority of people who understand what distributed systems are, and how to connect them to anything as abstract as freedom, equality, etc. Most people just want an easy-to-remember, easier-to-use, not sketchy looking way to consume content. Profit-seeking companies are simply better equipped and more motivated to provide that service than the open-source community is, because they don't have to worry about freedom, equality, and certainly competition.
- battlebot 10y ago
  You act like none of this had any effect but you forget that once upon a time if you wanted to buy a song, you were forced to either purchase a CD with a lot of other songs you didn't want, or you could maybe pick up a 45rpm single record, or you could make a tape of the song off the radio. This technology has led us to being able to buy pretty much any song we want for $2 or so and it also completely gutted the music industry to the point where barely any new bands exist in the mainstream anymore. Technology is a double-edged sword. We seem to be sitting in a lull between great new innovations. But don't worry, that lull isn't going to last much longer.
gozur88 10y ago
But once these kinds of distributed schemes are developed they're available for other things. The real problem is any time you develop a system a government doesn't control they can always shut it down by convincing the average joe that it's just being used for child porn.
intended 10y ago
You forget that the mainstream had no choice. The old centralized authorities fought and fought hard. As an older user I'm surprised you conceded this point so quickly by calling it copyright infringement. These are the same guys who made CDs cost magically more than cassettes, stood at every juncture against moving society forwards and have constantly pushed American copy right life higher because they can afford the lawyers normal people can't. People didn't give up anything - they lost something they didn't know they had because media firms beat them.