The importance of decentralization

Human nature has its flaws. One of them is a lust for greed & power. In the western world and in the 21st century this is most commonly manifested in money & power/control.

Although Hollywood has done a pretty good job over the years at promoting these things as ideals that every young entry to society should aspire to, the reality is that if any one single or group of individuals actually achieves that, then they are left with a "Now what?" decision. I mean let's say you want to create a product and you build a startup to do it. The journey to actually achieving some success is exciting. Everyone's interested in what you are doing and it appears glamorous. Maybe you might also be viewed as industrious, or a "risk taker" or someone with the courage to try and make their mark on the world.

But let's then look at what happens when you actually achieve your goal and success. So many people turn from amiable leaders to tyrants. Although all have respect for the accomplishment, what if it leaves the person or group in a position where they now have to fight off every competitor from their winnings? Like a dragon, sitting on its gold.

How do you protect your winnings? Simple. Create a proprietary way that only you can control your enterprise. Patent everything in sight. Copyrights everywhere. Stop anyone from doing anything even remotely close to either copying it or competing with it. Be an evil bastard.

This is Business 101 in the 21st century. It not only manifests in business, but it manifests in politics. Amass around you the armies to maintain your power, and no one will attempt to overthrow you. And if you can control the minds of your citizenry or your customers, better still. You can continue to swindle them and take from them the lifeblood you need to survive (money, hearts & minds, etc.) and grow your power position further and further.

It always ends this way.

Freedom and Open Source

We are the citizenry or the customers that often our entire existence is tied to having the use of a technology that we have some control over. But this comes juxtaposed from the goals of the technology provider. It is a battle. The provider will do everything they can to restrain you in their "walled garden" while you just need to know that you have control over that which is a critical component of your success.

In the 1990s and beyond, the concept of "Open Source" was invented and it is a crucial component of the Internet as we see it today. The fact that most web servers run on the open source Linux operating system, use the open source Apache web server, and run other open source technologies (such as PHP, Javascript, Python, etc.) means that software developers have some control over the tools they rely on to develop their products. Some really have taken this to extremes - the original Facebook & Twitter platforms were written with PHP, which are open source platforms. But because PHP didn't restrict anyone from using it for commercial purpose, it was extorted as a free way to get software out to market quickly, making the founders of these projects billionaires. Meanwhile the PHP language community have benefited only by having something that they can control its destiny and not with monetary gains.

Why would anyone do this? Wouldn't it be easier to just take the money?

Open source and/or Free Software is an ideology. It is championed by those that understand that their own freedom is worth more than money. Sure, you can make money using it. Offer services to help others use it, etc. but rarely does this ever equal what would have been the gains if you had a proprietary system and wanted to be that successful founder of that mega platform. You won't become Zuckerberg by being an open source developer.

But I'm not a developer - I just enjoy making/consuming media on Steem Blockchain

Well sure, but it is all relevant. Bitcoin is open source money. It was invented and given to the community as an open source project and because of it, it has spawned all the other blockchains (incl. Steem) and from it, apps have been developed that sit on top of that blockchain. Because of it, you can make money as a content creator. You can be sure that your content won't be censored because it doesn't meet the business goals of the non-open other platforms.

We've seen so many examples of YouTube censoring content that it doesn't believe in. The most noteworthy is Alex Jones' Infowars feeds. A cartel of proprietary social media platforms got together and within the same week, blacklisted his content from their services. From YouTube to Apple to Spotify to Facebook to Twitter. All of them. Whether you like his content or you don't, the fact is that if they arbitrarily banned his content, then anyone else that finds themselves on stating a view that isn't agreed with is next. I've seen Christian broadcasters blacklisted. Liberal or Conservative content gone. This is a way to control the minds of the viewer.

The only way to destroy the power choke-hold that these mega corporations have over information is to build a better alternative. Steemit, d.tube and dsound have done this. I would have also put dLive in that group, but I have grave fears of their move to their own independent blockchain that I think the promise of that platform may be at its end.

But dTube providers those that want to enjoy video content a place to do just that. Without corporate oversight or without censorship. And still content creators can make money. The Steem blockchain provides a means to achieve that. It is the true decentralization of information and power.

We must respect d.Tube and Steemit

This gift that we have been given deserves respect. The respect we give it is by creating quality and solid content. I mean quality - not pictures of your cat, your kid or your meal you will consume. Really? That is a abhorrence to the platform considering what it can really do. If you want to turn off newcomers to our platforms, that's how you do it. Sure, you are thinking "I can make some money by spamming it with stupid content just to get upvotes". This is how you destroy the long term viability of this incredible invention.

We must create QUALITY. That is content that is BETTER than YouTube. Better than other blogs. Real content, with real information and real value. If we do not do this, then this technology will just die because of a lack of consumers.

What we all must do

Next time you are going to post content, film a d.Tube video, etc. think about the content. Think if you are saying something relevant that people might actually want to watch. And think about how you are presenting it. Is it done using the best video production techniques? Do you even know anything about video? Do you know anything about story telling? Do you know anything about entertainment production?

If the answer to any of these questions is No, then you have some studying to do. I'm not saying don't post anything - I'm saying you have a duty to learn about production and how to engage an audience. Not just put anything out there because you can. That's how you destroy this great gift.

We need content. Lots of it. But more importantly, we need QUALITY content. And with the vast array of tutorials on the Internet, we can do it. I mean just watch a few YouTube videos on techniques and how to be a better presenter. And maybe before you just start filming yourself sitting in your car or something, think about whether your content won't make you look like an amateur 5 years from now. Because the one thing about the blockchain is that it is immutable. This stuff doesn't go away. It is permanent. Is this how you want people or future employers, etc. to see the "best of you"?

Plan things out. Write down what you want to convey and look directly into the camera and realize that the world is watching. Don't do it without a sense of quality. You can do this so much better, and ultimately we all will win the war of decentralization by creating content that is not only engaging, but sucks the power out of the evil corporations that control the general media that most people are consuming.