Internet was a dream which started with the sentence: Now you are able to communicate with people across the world in a instance. Today you can socialize via forums, chats, e-mail, social avatars, storage servers, social groups are all part of this new phenomenon. Today we have all in one solutions called social platforms that are greater than the sum of its parts. Why are they greater than the sum of their parts, you ask?
To socialize, to be part of the community, to be accepted is to function as a human being. Our brain receives great reward for succeeding in doing this. Complex social platforms tapped in this reward system. They gave us new social playing field, a new form of social interactions which conquered the world, and whether you like it or not it is here to stay.
Well, why wouldn’t you like it? It only gave you options, you don’t have to use it. Is there a reason to hate these platforms? Are they missing something?
You will notice that the best of them have the most options. They gave you the greatest freedom to choose, but let me tell you why it is not enough. Your social avatar is still not in your ownership, it may seem that way to you but is not! Someone out there has access to it, and that someone owns it, that someone is the company that created the social platform. The company gave you their service for free because your interaction with the internet has value, and they know how to monetize that value! This shit has to change, but do we have the technology? The answer is: Now, we do! And it is called blockchain, it is called the decentralized internet.
Welcome to the Decentralized Social Networks (DSN):
For a blockchain technology to be able to give us this option it must comply with these rules.
The first rule: There is no centralized server, you’re data is everywhere, there is no single point of failure.
The second rule: The company (if there even is one ) that creates the DSN doesn’t have the access to your wallet if it is token-based platform, and it doesn’t have access to your data if it is data-based platform. Ethereum platform does not comply with this rule because every transaction and state of every wallet is visible to everyone. DSN should state in it’s terms and agreement that it respect the second rule and is legally bounded to respect it. Enigma has a solution for anonymous smart contracts.
P.S. Platform doesn’t have to be token-based, but token economics offer honest way of incentivizing all platform entities.
The third rule: Every social activity on the DSN is unique.
DSNs are here. Proof? Synereo, Dock.io , Narrative , DataWallet , Steemit, Tomocoin , Pillar, Appics, Akasha, Sphere , Sapien , SocialX, Ong, Leeroy, Nexus.social... This is happening so fast that they are probably not all aware of each other.
I am also sure many of them will fall short to create a true DSN. Obstacles are everywhere. DSN needs to offer everything current social platforms offer and function on a blockchain capable of supporting a DSN.
Blockchain technology is not yet mature for such amount of transactions but it is certainly getting there. I would like to give attention to the new project called Tomocoin because it seems to be going in the right direction. It proposes new blockchain called Tomochain that has Proof of Authority for very fast transactions, sidechains for horizontal scalability and is relaying on Ethereum technology for smart contracts. Smart contracts written for Ethereum will work on Tomochain and cross chain communication with Ethereum blockchain will be possible. Team behind the project seems very strong. I would like them to read this article and pay attention to The Second Rule of the DSN and to the value of option to be truly in control of your own data on a social network.
Good luck, Long Vuong
I will write in more details about token economics of these newly formed DSNs and power of truly controlling your own data. Feel free to donate !
My ETH wallet :
0x6dAD7854FE3534ed67f663b29C9FD29562c87e30
My NEO address:
AcFqMzB4dsDA7SKNQ4BpABLLGDqRJpncdg