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I'm so lost, there are so many conversations here talking about IPFS compared to things like Dropbox and S3. Why? To me, IPFS aims to solve a completely differ

I'm so lost, there are so many conversations here talking about IPFS compared to things like Dropbox and S3. Why? To me, IPFS aims to solve a completely different problem. IPFS does not exist because we don't have means to host and distribute files - that is a problem solved by a hundred different entities. IPFS, as advertised in many mediums (video/etc), is a platform to distribute data from a local-first P2P medium. Like Bittorrent, but without ever leaving the local network/etc. Eg, transferring a file/video/site to someone next to you would not download the data from across the world twice. Has the marketing changed? Because all of the videos I watched on it from months ago were all about reducing global bandwidth usage, utilizing local and distributed sources of the data as much possible. Why is everyone acting like IPFS is trying to solve file hosting?

detaro 9y ago
Filecoin is trying to solve (paying for) file hosting through IPFS. Many of the existing projects around IPFS are "host X, but on IPFS".
- notheguyouthink 9y ago
  Sure, but these comments that I refer to are discussing on IPFS, not Filecoin directly, and as such seem bizarrely misguided to me. Saying IPFS is a useless tool because we already have Dropbox and S3 is completely missing the mark. Not only is IPFS not intended to solve "hosting" as a "problem" (in my eyes, at least), but IPFS goals do not even overlap with S3/Dropbox. Saying IPFS is about hosting because many people use it for that is like saying BitTorrent is for porn because many people use it for that.
- lgierth 9y ago
  No, it's more generally about hosting any content-addressed data. That's much much more than files/directories, as S3/Dropbox/Sia are doing. Files and directories are just one particular data structure you can store on IPFS. Think of it as a global unified content-addressed graph database really, and Filecoin can store any arbitrary (sub)graphs within that.
  - notheguyouthink 9y ago
    > No, it's more generally about hosting any content-addressed data. Back to my original points, I don't think it is about hosting the data. It's the location of the data. Eg, a room full of people downloading a large video don't need to leave the room for the majority of the data, they can share the data between each other - seamlessly. Leading to less clogging of the network of data when there's absolutely no need for us to be downloading from youtube/etc. For me personally, another thing IPFS does is allow access to immutable data. Seeing as websites love to change data on the fly, it's hard to know what someone else saw, compared to what you saw. Was the article modified? Did X political candidate change what s/he's saying on their site? IPFS solves this, and this is my favorite part, tbh.
    - lgierth 9y ago
      > Back to my original points, I don't think it is about hosting the data. It's the location of the data. Eg, a room full of people downloading a large video don't need to leave the room for the majority of the data, they can share the data between each other - seamlessly. Leading to less clogging of the network of data when there's absolutely no need for us to be downloading from youtube/etc. You're absolutely right here of course
      - notheguyouthink 9y ago
        Didn't mean to imply you meant otherwise of course - nor was my intent to argue. I just thought it was an important point for anyone (you or otherwise) to read. I thought it came off a little ... wrong, so my apologies for that, if anything was perceived.
        lgierth 9y ago
        Not at all :) There's multiple important points about IPFS and I always forget at least one, so thanks :)
atomashpolskiy 9y ago
Actually, BitTorrent allows you to search specifically for local connections via multicast: http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0014.html http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0014.html. With proper prioritization of peers it won't download the data from across the world, if it's present in the same subnet.

detaro 9y ago

Filecoin is trying to solve (paying for) file hosting through IPFS. Many of the existing projects around IPFS are "host X, but on IPFS".

notheguyouthink 9y ago
Sure, but these comments that I refer to are discussing on IPFS, not Filecoin directly, and as such seem bizarrely misguided to me. Saying IPFS is a useless tool because we already have Dropbox and S3 is completely missing the mark. Not only is IPFS not intended to solve "hosting" as a "problem" (in my eyes, at least), but IPFS goals do not even overlap with S3/Dropbox. Saying IPFS is about hosting because many people use it for that is like saying BitTorrent is for porn because many people use it for that.
lgierth 9y ago
No, it's more generally about hosting any content-addressed data. That's much much more than files/directories, as S3/Dropbox/Sia are doing. Files and directories are just one particular data structure you can store on IPFS. Think of it as a global unified content-addressed graph database really, and Filecoin can store any arbitrary (sub)graphs within that.
- notheguyouthink 9y ago
  > No, it's more generally about hosting any content-addressed data. Back to my original points, I don't think it is about hosting the data. It's the location of the data. Eg, a room full of people downloading a large video don't need to leave the room for the majority of the data, they can share the data between each other - seamlessly. Leading to less clogging of the network of data when there's absolutely no need for us to be downloading from youtube/etc. For me personally, another thing IPFS does is allow access to immutable data. Seeing as websites love to change data on the fly, it's hard to know what someone else saw, compared to what you saw. Was the article modified? Did X political candidate change what s/he's saying on their site? IPFS solves this, and this is my favorite part, tbh.
  - lgierth 9y ago
    > Back to my original points, I don't think it is about hosting the data. It's the location of the data. Eg, a room full of people downloading a large video don't need to leave the room for the majority of the data, they can share the data between each other - seamlessly. Leading to less clogging of the network of data when there's absolutely no need for us to be downloading from youtube/etc. You're absolutely right here of course
    - notheguyouthink 9y ago
      Didn't mean to imply you meant otherwise of course - nor was my intent to argue. I just thought it was an important point for anyone (you or otherwise) to read. I thought it came off a little ... wrong, so my apologies for that, if anything was perceived.
      - lgierth 9y ago
        Not at all :) There's multiple important points about IPFS and I always forget at least one, so thanks :)

atomashpolskiy 9y ago

Actually, BitTorrent allows you to search specifically for local connections via multicast: http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0014.html http://bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0014.html. With proper prioritization of peers it won't download the data from across the world, if it's present in the same subnet.