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This problem of decentralization was already solved by Usenet decades ago: your user ID is your email address and the various servers (Usenet instances) all mir
by bdw5204 3y ago
This problem of decentralization was already solved by Usenet decades ago: your user ID is your email address and the various servers (Usenet instances) all mirror each other's posts.
The problem with that was that email addresses are easily forged and Usenet lacked adequate spam filtering and content moderation tools because of its decentralized nature and the general lack of effective spam filtering in the late 90s/early 00s. So it was replaced by forums which were in turn replaced by social media.
- FormerBandmate 3y agoHonestly a modern Usenet isn’t the worst idea. Isn’t it still used for piracy?
- izzydata 3y agoBut email is a federated system itself. Complaining about having to sign up for a particular instance is like complaining you have to sign up to a particular email provider and not all of email.
- Terr_ 3y agoIMO the difference is not really about federation, but about the degree of context and trust the user has--or can have--when it comes to choosing servers. There's no guarantee that name@majorisp.com is going to stick around forever, but there was a contract relationship plus a certain degree of too-big-to-fail-ness.
- ummonk 3y agoNot at all though. I can use an email address from my own domain name and then switch email providers without losing the identity I have built up.