Member-only story
Are There Downsides to a Decentralized Internet?
This will be my last post on Decenternet. I may revisit the topic at some point in the future, but I figure after this post I’ll have much less to say for the near future. So far, I’ve been largely in favor of a decentralized Internet, warm to Decenternet in general while being critical of the company’s tilt toward fear-based marketing tactics, and excited about the prospect of a truly decentralized worldwide network. However, I want to use this post to highlight some of the downsides to a decentralized Internet.
Usenet Spam, Flame Wars, and Other Garbage
Before the commercial web, the Usenet was a decentralized bulletin board system similar to today’s Internet forums. While today’s forums generally have an administrator, and many have channel moderators, that was not the case with Usenet. The reason forums have administrators and moderators is because of the problems created by the free and decentralized Usenet.
Public Domain. Wikipedia.
If you’ve ever heard the terms “spam,” “flame war,” and “FAQ,” they all began on the Usenet. Today, if someone spams a forum or starts a flame war, a moderator will typically issue a warning and then, if repeated, ban the user from the group. Most of us would agree that this is good to maintain order and stability, and to provide a safe environment for everyone within the…
