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The web decentralization movement hasn't gotten very far as far as adoption goes. But that is because it is pretty new and the technology is still being worked

The web decentralization movement hasn't gotten very far as far as adoption goes. But that is because it is pretty new and the technology is still being worked out. There is a real question, however, as to what would motivate the vast majority of current web users to switch off of centralized services and on to decentralized ones. What I am hoping is that once the tech gets solid, one or more people who are good at thinking about ordinary users will come up with some ways to win them over. My own thought is to figure out what it is that people value that centralized services, by their very nature, cannot provide, but that decentralized services can. Along these lines, maybe what will happen is Facebook will get hacked, millions of people will suffer as a consequence, and then people will be in a frame of mind to listen to arguments for decentralization.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago
I think the key point is that open/decentralized services need to be better than the closed ones. One of the big things here is that decentralized services rarely have to make compromises for the sake of profit. As ads get more and more irritating, for example, ad-free products are more appealing.
verisimilidude 10y ago
> There is a real question, however, as to what would motivate the vast majority of current web users to switch off of centralized services and on to decentralized ones. I imagine decentralized tech would creep into everyone's lives by accident, service by service, rather than happening all at once. I don't think people care (yet) about how their bits are pushed around, but they'll jump into a decentralized service if needed to keep up with the latest craze.
Everhusk 10y ago
Or perhaps Facebook will decide to adopt the Solid protocol, which would imho be the single greatest thing Zuckerberg could do. Even better than donating all of his money.

ocdtrekkie 10y ago

I think the key point is that open/decentralized services need to be better than the closed ones. One of the big things here is that decentralized services rarely have to make compromises for the sake of profit. As ads get more and more irritating, for example, ad-free products are more appealing.

verisimilidude 10y ago

> There is a real question, however, as to what would motivate the vast majority of current web users to switch off of centralized services and on to decentralized ones. I imagine decentralized tech would creep into everyone's lives by accident, service by service, rather than happening all at once. I don't think people care (yet) about how their bits are pushed around, but they'll jump into a decentralized service if needed to keep up with the latest craze.

Everhusk 10y ago

Or perhaps Facebook will decide to adopt the Solid protocol, which would imho be the single greatest thing Zuckerberg could do. Even better than donating all of his money.