Decentralized Social Media - Is There Really Any Other Option?
Submissive Slavery
Yesterday, I came across a post by @the-bitcoin-dood, in which he detailed how he had chosen to close the chapter on legacy-styled social media. Now, this is something that I did back in 2015. I shut down my Facebook account while remaining active on Twitter until 2017… when they decided to shut me down without any clarification or reasoning.
This was, of course, an eye-opener for me, in regard to how you as the account holder actually have zero power, literally zero. There is nothing you can do to oppose the suspension of an account. Sure, you can contest it, but nothing rarely ever comes of it. This happened to be around the same time that I came across Steemit. I instantly appreciated the aspect of decentralization and monetization.
However, I only really became engaged on the blockchain in 2020 when Hive was born. Unless you have actually lost an account, you are still somewhat “unaware” of the real risks involved with building on a centralized platform. Even if you think you understand the inherent risks, there’s a deeper “understanding” that comes as a result of actually experiencing it.
A person can envision a possible outcome, but being aware of something and actually experiencing it is two very different things. When you look at Hive and the arrival of Threads, it’s relatively clear that dependence upon the WEB2 giants is no longer necessary. Let me say that again, it’s no longer required! I think people are still very much unable to comprehend the scope of this particular development on Leofinance.
Allowing Big Brother access to every aspect of your personal life is actually a form of enslavement, especially if it is eventually leveraged against you, and ultimately utilized to silence you. Interacting and communicating via a decentralized model is so attractive, I am surprised that WEB3-based social media is still under the radar. However, people generally are pretty slow to catch on.
Choosing To Practice What I Preach
Thinking back on the suspension of my Twitter account, it was likely due to some aspect of Crypto. It took place just prior to Facebook banning any type of Crypto-related ads. To be seen to be promoting Crypto in any way, shape, or form was suddenly taboo. After Elon took over Twitter, I considered trying again, perhaps it would be reactivated. After all, it was an account I created in 2008 and had approximately 11K followers.
After giving it some consideration, I realized that it was something that I no longer even wanted… or needed. After all, I had decided to exit Facebook some time ago already. Twitter was somewhat different in that I could still utilize it for the extraction of data. However, that was not something that required having any followers, or even posting anything… and so, I now have an account solely for this purpose.
An Unexpected Explosion
It may not seem like it now, but I firmly believe that decentralized social media is still going to be a pretty big deal. When you begin to see guys like Musk and Zuckerberg trying to make their platforms “WEB3-compatible”, know that the hour is near. Musk has made the expected move of downplaying WEB3… when it fails, he will flip, just like he did on Bitcoin. Do yourself a favor and check out what he had to say about Bitcoin prior to 2020.
There’s always a narrative, or an angle being played. There is no loyalty to a belief or set of principles… the loyalty is to the “money”. When an idea becomes beneficial, influential individuals do a complete u-turn in regard to their “opinions and viewpoints”. Crypto enthusiasts often celebrate when influential players change their stance on Crypto. They should rather be asking themselves, why… and why now?
Final Thoughts
The age-old saying, “Follow the money”, reveals much. Profitability and power are interconnected. If certain individuals believe they can profit from something, they simultaneously believe that they can control it to some degree. They do not act outside of this “union”. This is why there was initially heavy opposition, in regard to Crypto. Preparations were being made… positioning was taking place,
This will likely occur with every meaningful advancement that takes place within the Crypto sector. Coincidentally, didn’t Musk just call for a pause on AI? I will leave you with that thought, catch you next time!
Disclaimer
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This article was first published on Sapphire Crypto.
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