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> I think the ideal online community is decentralized Communities have to be centralized - or at least appear so. Human beings simply are shit at cooperating w
by throwaway984393 5y ago
> I think the ideal online community is decentralized
Communities have to be centralized - or at least appear so. Human beings simply are shit at cooperating with people outside of their in-group. An in-group requires a close-knit simple structure identifying with one or more ideas or people. People need to put their faith in centralization: central leadership, central consensus, a place, a thing, an idea. If you tell people "we're going to build a community of loosely-knit people and groups", they will not have much faith in the idea and the community will be weak. As much as you like the idea of decentralization, you have to hide the idea of it from the users, and simultaneously provide things to make them feel closer and directly connected.
- Nasrudith 5y agoIsn't saying there is a need for centralized trust (regardless of an actual basis) logically the same as "we need to support delusions because the delusions are widespread?" When support of such delusions and establishment as norms are why they are so widespread in the first place.
- hazza_n_dazza 5y agothe great thing about the internet is that it makes physical space meaningless, and thus the centre can appear as a shifting network event.