Decentralized Communication: Types and Applications
Google, Facebook, Alibaba, and Amazon – To name a few, control our communication on the internet in multiple ways. As per research Google has approx 4.3 billion users worldwide, making itself a necessity in our lives. But what do you do if Google blacks out? Internet blackouts have been a common issue today that makes us not want to trust major servers with our data and security. Other functions affected by blackouts include censorship, cyberattacks, technical problems, or human errors. It also makes us wonder how centralized our internet is today. Experts like David Clark believe that the internet should allow decentralized communication that is the ability to communicate during the loss of networks. Moreover, it should be cost-effective and have a distribution of resources. It shows that the idea of the internet was to be decentralized from the beginning.
Outward and Inward Decentralized Communication
When Instagram goes down, do you feel worried about the social engagement you created for yourself or other businesses? The importance of following the foundations of decentralization and communication becomes evident. Despite good services, we cannot deny being controlled by large organizations in our daily lives. True decentralization is only possible with applications that serve user-to-user communication.
Outward IP communication is a standard mode of communication that includes sending a request and getting a reply. For example, TCP Protocol. Whereas, inward IP communication means the allowance of getting a request from someone outside the local network. Outward IP communication is popularly utilized for client-server communication but inward was disabled by default in the early years. Being exploited by viruses, the functioning of inward communication didn’t work in the 1990s. With the help of our modems or routers, it’s possible to control inward communication through a login and password. However, for decentralized communication, the combination of outward and inward is a must.
Decentralized Applications
As we discussed prominent organizations like Facebook, let us understand how they control communication. The standard apps like FB and Uber run on a computer system owned by organizations. While there are multiple users, the backend is controlled by the company. Thus, shaping the communication of its users.
However, decentralized applications or DApps run on a blockchain or P2P network. For example, BitTorrent runs on a P2P network. In a P2P network, consume, feed, or do both with content. Whereas, if we notice cryptocurrencies, DApps run in a blockchain network. The blockchain network is decentralized, open-source, public, and independent of third-party control. For example, it’s easy for a developer to launch a DApp like Instagram on a blockchain. Every user can publish messages. However, no one can delete the message, including app creators.
Decentralized Communication: Yes or No?
Certainly, centralization is a significant part of our lives, and the core idea of decentralization has been blurred. In our internet’s history, various big crashes are overlooked. It proves that the profitability of centralized companies has shaped our technological experiences. Moreover, this makes the need for our communication to be decentralized essential. Various decentralized applications promote a user’s creativity, independence from third-party, and free speech while safeguarding their privacy and no need for submitting personal information. Thus, enabling rapid development of several industries and making the internet an independent space.
