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When has this ever cycled? It's always been a one way slide towards centralization and control.

by ori_b 9y ago

ocdtrekkie 9y ago
AOL was a big one for a long time. For many people, the "AOL Keyword" was how you got places (and what you advertised on TV), not a web URL.
DINKDINK 9y ago
BitTorrent, bitcoin, Chat/forums (AOL->OSS Forums). Everything else had too high development, infrastructure, product demands.
- imtringued 9y ago
  Videos are static content. The big problem with decentralisation is computation. The blockchain can do this but it's still limited to the processing power of a single "virtual" computer.
adventured 9y ago
For normal consumers... Netscape -> IE monopoly -> explosion of choices Email provided by your employer or ISP -> explosion of choices IBM & Apple computers -> explosion of choices Intel processor monopoly -> ARM computing explosion of choices Kodak, majority of the film market -> explosion of camera choices Tight music label monopolies + radio & store distribution -> explosion of cheap consumer choices for streaming vast amounts of music. No longer do you have to spend $20-$25 in adjusted 2018 dollars to buy an album with two songs you want to hear. ABC, NBC, CBS, limited tightly controlled broadcast platforms with very regulated content -> endless array of media start-ups online, streaming choices, news sources Playboy & similar, nearly your sole porn option for decades, highly restricted distribution -> seemingly infinite porn online from thousands of large sites Information broadly, from limited, tightly controlled research options, difficult to access (if you can at all depending on your location) -> explosion of research options online, at a click, practically at zero cost Limited publishing options, from almost nothing for the common person -> dozens of easy, inexpensive ways to publish text/audio/video and reach an audience. For $5 per month I can easily serve up video on my own site, host my own blog, post my own music, whatever.

When has this ever cycled? It's always been a one way slide towards centralization and control.

by ori_b 9y ago

When has this ever cycled? It's always been a one way slide towards centralization and control.

AOL was a big one for a long time. For many people, the "AOL Keyword" was how you got places (and what you advertised on TV), not a web URL.

DINKDINK 9y ago

BitTorrent, bitcoin, Chat/forums (AOL->OSS Forums). Everything else had too high development, infrastructure, product demands.

imtringued 9y ago
Videos are static content. The big problem with decentralisation is computation. The blockchain can do this but it's still limited to the processing power of a single "virtual" computer.

adventured 9y ago

For normal consumers... Netscape -> IE monopoly -> explosion of choices Email provided by your employer or ISP -> explosion of choices IBM & Apple computers -> explosion of choices Intel processor monopoly -> ARM computing explosion of choices Kodak, majority of the film market -> explosion of camera choices Tight music label monopolies + radio & store distribution -> explosion of cheap consumer choices for streaming vast amounts of music. No longer do you have to spend $20-$25 in adjusted 2018 dollars to buy an album with two songs you want to hear. ABC, NBC, CBS, limited tightly controlled broadcast platforms with very regulated content -> endless array of media start-ups online, streaming choices, news sources Playboy & similar, nearly your sole porn option for decades, highly restricted distribution -> seemingly infinite porn online from thousands of large sites Information broadly, from limited, tightly controlled research options, difficult to access (if you can at all depending on your location) -> explosion of research options online, at a click, practically at zero cost Limited publishing options, from almost nothing for the common person -> dozens of easy, inexpensive ways to publish text/audio/video and reach an audience. For $5 per month I can easily serve up video on my own site, host my own blog, post my own music, whatever.