Agreed. I'd even go a level up and simply say that centralized systems generally allow the service to have more control over user behavior. This allows them t

Agreed. I'd even go a level up and simply say that centralized systems generally allow the service to have more control over user behavior. This allows them to monetize user behavior. This profit potential allows them to raise capital. The capital allows them to do all kinds of things that a nonmonetized platform can't, like hire 30000 employees, buy the competition, and engage in big marketing campaigns. Ultimately though, it's a local optimum. Facebook acts in its own interest, not in the interests of users. The things that Facebook does to maximize its revenue cause great harm to its users. I'm not sure what's going to break the logjam, but something will.