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Decentralized platforms aren't a business. The decentralized model scales remarkably well for a very small cost because there are hundreds (or thousands!) of in
by Sir_Cmpwn 9y ago
Decentralized platforms aren't a business. The decentralized model scales remarkably well for a very small cost because there are hundreds (or thousands!) of instances that run at a small scale and communicate with the broader network. Many volunteers run small instances that cost only a few dollars a month to maintain and are often supported by donations from the users of that instance. You can even run your own instance if you want. Even if one instance fails the network as a whole doesn't even feel it. The financial model is totally different and very sustainable, much more so than the proprietary model even.
- jonbarker 9y agoIf I am reading fb history correctly they had a business (apple and party poker ads) even when they were distributed (one server and mysql db per school).
- akkartik 9y agoThey were never distributed as a business, even if they were distributed as a product or as a tech stack. Mastodon allows unconnected people and organizations to make hugely disparate investments in "connection technology" with potentially very different business models. Server A may require a monthly subscription from each of its clients, Server B may be getting micropayments from 0.001% of its clients, server C may be running completely free just for somebody's close friends. All these financial models can coexist on the same platform.