Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
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Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
1–10 of 158 posts
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#2I bet there's a true hive-mind species out there that would disagree.
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#3That is, until the ease, quality and utility of fully decentralized systems exceeds the pain of the fragility and abusiveness of the current centralized offerings.
The power of unenclosable carriers offered by breakthroughs such as Holochain https://holo.host is breathtaking.
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#4That is, until the ease, quality and utility of fully decentralized systems exceeds the pain of the fragility and abusiveness of the current centralized offerings. The power of unenclosable carriers offered by breakthroughs such as Holochain https://holo.host is breathtaking.
> That is, until the ease, quality and utility of fully decentralized systems exceeds the pain of the fragility and abusiveness of the current centralized offerings.
I agree. A centralized system will seek to expand to further consolidate control & create cartels which often act against the interests of those outside of the cartel. A system of decentralized components that becomes centralized can be forked to create alternative systems that address the interests of those who maintain the alternative systems.
It's like forest garden management technique...using fire to create new growth & biodiversity. The mature forest has less biodiversity & will eventually die out on it's own, but a fire will clear the less "fit" organisms leaving space for new organisms to grow.
> The power of unenclosable carriers offered by breakthroughs such as Holochain https://holo.host is breathtaking.
Is the Holochain api/architecture stable or is there still churn?
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#5And yet our economic and social systems have never been more decentralised...
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#6Tim Wu makes a similar argument in The Master Switch, a history of information networks and monopolies going back to telegraph networks in the 19th century.
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#7Centralization is a prevailing force. There are also many countervailing forces.
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#8And yet our economic and social systems have never been more decentralised...
That seems about as far from true as a statement can be.
Can you give an example?
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#9That power-law comparison between major freeways and air travel routes is quite misleading, IMO. The highly dense road networks surrounding the major cities (i.e. around Los Angeles, Bay Area, Seattle, Houston, New York-to-Florida, etc.) are left out, but for comparison to air travel they need to be included. Doing so would generate a very different map (with a very different power law).
The freeway map shown looks like the major truck-freight corridor for transporting goods (many collected at coast ports from overseas shipping) across the country to warehouses and distribution centers, certainly not what most people use for travel by car. Hence, comparison to air travel doesn't make much sense.
As far as centralization and decentralization, for most things this comes down to technological limitations (ignoring the issue of economic monopolies blocking local regions from adopting the latest technologies). Local agriculture and local energy production are a lot easier to maintain (and benefit from no transport costs), than say, local chip foundries. Maybe someday cheap 3D printers capable of spitting out nanoscale RISC-V products in someone's garage will be available, but certainly not anytime soon.
Re: Centralization is inevitable, but decentralization is right behind it
#10And yet our economic and social systems have never been more decentralised...
Can you elaborate?