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The "Decentralization" vision hasn't really been fully realized, and when it is working, it's not necessarily talked about or noticeable. Whether it's desired o

The "Decentralization" vision hasn't really been fully realized, and when it is working, it's not necessarily talked about or noticeable. Whether it's desired or not has no bearing on a service's popularity. Many do not desire the centralization of data collection yet still use Facebook and Google because it provides shortcuts. Point being, more users on Coinbase doesn't imply that decentralization is not a desirable feature (and IMO it's not a product feature at all but rather an architectural one that users aren't really deciding for or against).

PeterisP 8y ago
"Many do not desire the centralization of data collection yet still use Facebook and Google because it provides shortcuts." is evidence that they don't have a significant desire for decentralization, their actions indicate that it's just a weak nice-to-have wish compared to their actual desires (e.g. getting these shortcuts), that it's not something that matters enough to actually base their decisions on it. It's the purest form of expressed preference - if people systematically give up A to gain B, then it's clear that they actually don't desire A that much and that they actually do desire B, no matter what they might say. The same applies to Coinbase - all this implies that for many, many users decentralization is not a feature that's desirable enough to matter, that it's benefits are not noticable and not important enough to make it a serious factor in making their decisions; whatever "the decentralization vision" is, it's not relevant enough so that they'd be willing to give up other benefits to gain these of decentralization.
- mijamo 8y ago
  That is just wrong. It would d be true if and only if user had a perfect information anf comprehension,and if cost is equivalent.
  - PeterisP 8y ago
    Why do you think that the cost has to be equivalent? The difference of cost would be a perfect measure of the strength of that desire; if people would be willing to pay a significant premium to get X, then that's a credible sign that they desire X and it matters to them; and if they're not willing to pay a nontrivial premium to get X then clearly it's not valuable to them. The qualifier about perfect information and comprehension is legit, but given that, if you'd choose decentralization only if the cost and other circumstances are equivalent then that's a sign that decentralization is worth zero.

PeterisP 8y ago

"Many do not desire the centralization of data collection yet still use Facebook and Google because it provides shortcuts." is evidence that they don't have a significant desire for decentralization, their actions indicate that it's just a weak nice-to-have wish compared to their actual desires (e.g. getting these shortcuts), that it's not something that matters enough to actually base their decisions on it. It's the purest form of expressed preference - if people systematically give up A to gain B, then it's clear that they actually don't desire A that much and that they actually do desire B, no matter what they might say. The same applies to Coinbase - all this implies that for many, many users decentralization is not a feature that's desirable enough to matter, that it's benefits are not noticable and not important enough to make it a serious factor in making their decisions; whatever "the decentralization vision" is, it's not relevant enough so that they'd be willing to give up other benefits to gain these of decentralization.

mijamo 8y ago
That is just wrong. It would d be true if and only if user had a perfect information anf comprehension,and if cost is equivalent.
- PeterisP 8y ago
  Why do you think that the cost has to be equivalent? The difference of cost would be a perfect measure of the strength of that desire; if people would be willing to pay a significant premium to get X, then that's a credible sign that they desire X and it matters to them; and if they're not willing to pay a nontrivial premium to get X then clearly it's not valuable to them. The qualifier about perfect information and comprehension is legit, but given that, if you'd choose decentralization only if the cost and other circumstances are equivalent then that's a sign that decentralization is worth zero.