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Now that these centralized companies are in positions of power, regulation is actually a favorable position for them in a lot of cases since they will have the

by gfodor 9y ago

Now that these centralized companies are in positions of power, regulation is actually a favorable position for them in a lot of cases since they will have the leverage to influence the regulations in their favor. This could lead to regulations that cement them as condoned monopolies or institute regulatory burdens that effectively cut off the ability for new entrants to even emerge in the first place. Thank goodness that we are close to having the tools we need to decentralize a broad array of the applications we use the internet for today. If anything the introduction of regulation will accelerate this -- it's certainly easy to imagine a decentralized Facebook and Twitter that is immune to any form of government control beyond shutting down access to the Internet itself. Hopefully the idea of regulating online discussion and sharing on social media will soon be as absurd a proposition as trying to regulate the web as a whole.

Analemma_ 9y ago
> Thank goodness that we are close to having the tools we need to decentralize a broad array of the applications we use the internet for today. Having the tools has never been the problem, getting people to use them is. You don't know the meaning of the words "total, utter disinterest" until you've tried to convince a non-technical person to use a federated alternative to Facebook.
- gfodor 9y ago
  By "the tools" I mean in part "a way for there to be strong economic incentives and funding mechanisms" which I think is a relatively new phenomenon. Good design costs money because most people won't do it for free (as they would do other things as evidenced by OSS out there today.) The fact someone can run an ICO to fund the development of a well designed decentralized Facebook that once launched is effectively self-sustaining is encouraging.
  - Karrot_Kream 9y ago
    Or even a Patreon to maintain a Mastodon instance
908087 9y ago
> Now that these centralized companies are in positions of power, regulation is actually a favorable position for them ..which is why Facebook and Google supported SESTA. That said, what we really need is GDPR type regulation to come to the US. Not all regulation is bad, and privacy violations have been completely out of control for far too long.
- ocdtrekkie 9y ago
  Facebook and Google actively opposed SESTA. It looks like they switched sides due to it getting watered down a bit (unfortunately), and likely not wanting to remain on the side of "supporting sex trafficking" once it became clear the bill was definitely going to pass. Original: https://internetassociation.org/introduction-stop-enabling-sex-traffickers-act-2017-act-intermediary-liability/ https://internetassociation.org/introduction-stop-enabling-s... Reversed: https://internetassociation.org/statement-in-support-of-the-bipartisan-compromise-to-stop-enabling-sex-trafficking-act-sesta/ https://internetassociation.org/statement-in-support-of-the-...

by gfodor 9y ago

Analemma_ 9y ago

> Thank goodness that we are close to having the tools we need to decentralize a broad array of the applications we use the internet for today. Having the tools has never been the problem, getting people to use them is. You don't know the meaning of the words "total, utter disinterest" until you've tried to convince a non-technical person to use a federated alternative to Facebook.

gfodor 9y ago
By "the tools" I mean in part "a way for there to be strong economic incentives and funding mechanisms" which I think is a relatively new phenomenon. Good design costs money because most people won't do it for free (as they would do other things as evidenced by OSS out there today.) The fact someone can run an ICO to fund the development of a well designed decentralized Facebook that once launched is effectively self-sustaining is encouraging.
- Karrot_Kream 9y ago
  Or even a Patreon to maintain a Mastodon instance

908087 9y ago

> Now that these centralized companies are in positions of power, regulation is actually a favorable position for them ..which is why Facebook and Google supported SESTA. That said, what we really need is GDPR type regulation to come to the US. Not all regulation is bad, and privacy violations have been completely out of control for far too long.

ocdtrekkie 9y ago
Facebook and Google actively opposed SESTA. It looks like they switched sides due to it getting watered down a bit (unfortunately), and likely not wanting to remain on the side of "supporting sex trafficking" once it became clear the bill was definitely going to pass. Original: https://internetassociation.org/introduction-stop-enabling-sex-traffickers-act-2017-act-intermediary-liability/ https://internetassociation.org/introduction-stop-enabling-s... Reversed: https://internetassociation.org/statement-in-support-of-the-bipartisan-compromise-to-stop-enabling-sex-trafficking-act-sesta/ https://internetassociation.org/statement-in-support-of-the-...