RE: does Steemit edit the files we have uploaded?
I don't think there is a conspiracy and the technology is being withheld. Lots of people are working on this problem. The reason I mentioned IPFS is that once you upload something to it (say an image at a specific size), it cannot be altered (it's immutable).
The issue is the cost of storage and bandwidth when you're talking about images and video. Somebody has to pay for it. Even in the case of IPFS. That's why DTube videos disappear after awhile. If you want to make sure your DTube videos never go offline, you're going to have to "pin" them on your own IPFS node (or pay someone else to do pin them).
Putting large blobs of data on a blockchain is a bad idea as it would make the blockchain costly to transmit and store (which is something that leads to centralization). Better to simply have pointers (e.g.: IPFS hashes) to the content stored elsewhere.
Thanks for the explanation.
I understand that there are real costs to do with data storage and transfer. I'm sure that, unregulated, a total open system would result in certain people and groups abusing free data storage and/or transfer.
I think we'll be able to overcome a lot of the costs, but considering scaling, it may always be better not to have certain blobs of data on a blockchain.
I'm happy there are many eyes and minds on it all. Simple content creators like myself have to at some point just trust that the tech experts are doing what's best.
Speaking of content creators, I really think we have to keep it easy and convenient for them to provide their content. He/she(s) who figures out how to make the content-creators happy, will be able to make everything else work. A steady flow of exceptional unique content that people want to consume is a powerful and valuable thing. If we succeed here, that's what we'll have, and I guess I'm proactively protective of it. Like I said, I'm happy it's open source, so I don't have to be paranoid that anyone might try and manipulate or co-opt this powerful and valuable thing we're all putting ourselves into.