I think the author is coming at this with a focus on the crypto scene, where it really is deeply rooted in distrust, but I see the value of decentralization in

I think the author is coming at this with a focus on the crypto scene, where it really is deeply rooted in distrust, but I see the value of decentralization in the Mastodon/ActivityPub more as one of a desire for more variation and competition than the centralized model allows. Trust is part of the deal, and Mastodon is a bit biased towards people with a particular fixation on moderation practices and casting out bad-actors to the exclusion of a lot other things. But for old heads, I think the real goal is for something more like the blogosphere or usenet groups or forum cultures where it wasn't about lack of trust but the ecosystem felt more dynamic because there were simply a lot of people just kind of doing their own thing in different ways. It iterated better, and it iterated in ways that were more centered on the content creators and consumers instead of a platform clearinghouse.