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Exactly. If data is hosted on personal devices, it’s not available all the time at high-bandwidth. If data is hosted on a dedicated server it costs money and ti
by alexmingoia 6y ago
Exactly. If data is hosted on personal devices, it’s not available all the time at high-bandwidth. If data is hosted on a dedicated server it costs money and time to maintain. That means users will need to pay a fee, or see ads. Open platforms are a means to circumvent ads, so that leaves paying a fee. But it seems users prefer free with ads, so those businesses will attract more users and capital.
The one thing that could change this is a major change in internet connectivity, such that it’s feasible to host on your own devices. As personal connectivity and bandwidth improves, P2P becomes more viable.
- wmf 6y agoWith P2P you still have to have a device that's always on, which most people don't already have, so that costs money. I actually think a VPS is cheaper than a home server. But either way it costs money and people don't want to spend it. And software development costs are another thing that needs to be paid for but can't.
- ev1 6y agoDon't forget one major thing, think about how many people on social media are not old enough to have a debit card, PayPal account, or similar. You effectively instantly exclude them. In significant parts of the world, including the US, many ISPs are turning to CGNAT also. Static IPs and being able to open a port is an addon.