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Napster, Limeware, Bittorrent, Kodi, Bitcoin, were/are part of the 'decentralized web'. They were build by necessity to get around copyright, monetary restrict

Napster, Limeware, Bittorrent, Kodi, Bitcoin, were/are part of the 'decentralized web'. They were build by necessity to get around copyright, monetary restrictions, censorship etc.. and not necessary for convenience. At the end of the day the average user just wants a convenient and reliable way to reach content and information. Centralization has been the best way to serve it, and I don't think it will change.

buboard 8y ago
Napster was by far the best way to share music, just like how popcorn time is the easiest way to get a movie right here right now. However nowadays people ditched their desktop computer/node for an iphone, and ISP upload speeds are in most places pretty bad. I think this has crippled p2p services and made centralization more convenient (while it isn't). Unfortunately we 're not gonna see decentralized web unless the general public gets back control of the compute and traffic.
- jessaustin 8y ago
  This is probably why it's not only the Daughters Bell and Comcast encouraging FCC to stomp the brakes on modern radio tech. MPAA et al. also like to keep network consumers in a weak position. Really though it's silly for us to expect this sort of ecosystem to thrive on phones. It would more naturally thrive on the doodads that plug into TVs. That's where Kodi mainly is now, isn't it?
- foldr 8y ago
  >However nowadays people ditched their desktop computer/node for an iphone, and ISP upload speeds are in most places pretty bad. I think this has crippled p2p services and made centralization more convenient Most people were on dialup in Napster's heyday, so I don't think that can be the issue. Music files are small.
  - buboard 8y ago
    but phones do not act as always-on nodes like napster or kazaa or torrent nodes did. battery issues + mobile data limits also
- adrianN 8y ago
  Here in Germany at least the frequent expensive letters you get when you run a file sharing node are probably a more important reason for the demise of file sharing than the rise of smartphones.
- worble 8y ago
  >and ISP upload speeds are in most places pretty bad If that was an argument against it then nobody would have shared anything in the first place.
brokenmachine 8y ago
I feel like decentralization is once again a necessity because companies like Facebook can't be trusted. I feel most people would jump ship if there was a viable, easy to use, alternative where you had ownership of your own data.

buboard 8y ago

Napster was by far the best way to share music, just like how popcorn time is the easiest way to get a movie right here right now. However nowadays people ditched their desktop computer/node for an iphone, and ISP upload speeds are in most places pretty bad. I think this has crippled p2p services and made centralization more convenient (while it isn't). Unfortunately we 're not gonna see decentralized web unless the general public gets back control of the compute and traffic.

jessaustin 8y ago
This is probably why it's not only the Daughters Bell and Comcast encouraging FCC to stomp the brakes on modern radio tech. MPAA et al. also like to keep network consumers in a weak position. Really though it's silly for us to expect this sort of ecosystem to thrive on phones. It would more naturally thrive on the doodads that plug into TVs. That's where Kodi mainly is now, isn't it?
foldr 8y ago
>However nowadays people ditched their desktop computer/node for an iphone, and ISP upload speeds are in most places pretty bad. I think this has crippled p2p services and made centralization more convenient Most people were on dialup in Napster's heyday, so I don't think that can be the issue. Music files are small.
- buboard 8y ago
  but phones do not act as always-on nodes like napster or kazaa or torrent nodes did. battery issues + mobile data limits also
adrianN 8y ago
Here in Germany at least the frequent expensive letters you get when you run a file sharing node are probably a more important reason for the demise of file sharing than the rise of smartphones.
worble 8y ago
>and ISP upload speeds are in most places pretty bad If that was an argument against it then nobody would have shared anything in the first place.

brokenmachine 8y ago

I feel like decentralization is once again a necessity because companies like Facebook can't be trusted. I feel most people would jump ship if there was a viable, easy to use, alternative where you had ownership of your own data.