Decentralized software alternatives

Destry · 2018-04-09 09:25:21

I’ve used this word a few times, and you’ve probably seen it around a lot too. In fact it seems to be picking up steam in the general masses, and that can only be a good thing. I just learned about Scuttlebutt recently in the Mastodon world (both decentralized technologies).

Here’s an interesting article in the The Atlantic about it:

Meet the Nomad Who’s Exploding the Internet Into Pieces With “Secure Scuttlebutt”

I don’t use Scuttlebutt, currently, and probably won’t anytime soon. I don’t need replacements, I just need less. But I do like to see this movement taking hold and undermining Silicon Valley.

michaelkpate · 2018-04-09 16:11:18

Destry wrote #310805:

I just learned about Scuttlebutt recently in the Mastodon world (both decentralized technologies).

The thing to remember about Mastodon is that it is based on Laconica/identi.ca which became status.net which became pump.io which spun off GNU Social. Which doesn’t make it bad but so far hasn’t excellent taken the world by storm, either.

Destry · 2018-04-10 07:55:09

This one’s for you, Michael… PeerTube, the decentralized YouTube alternative.

Thanks to ActivityPub, this works in Mastodon like the embed you did in the other thread to YT. Just add a PeerTube link and it embeds as a playable video.

Destry · 2018-04-10 07:59:10

michaelkpate wrote #310821:

The thing to remember about Mastodon is that it is based on Laconica/identi.ca which became status.net which became pump.io which spun off GNU Social.

It’s the beauty of open source in action. And Masto has really been rewritten in a lot of ways.

so far hasn’t excellent taken the world by storm, either.

Taking the world by storm isn’t the point of decentralization. Taking the world by storm is the point of centralized surveillance capitalism platforms like Facebook, YouTube, etc. As long as decentralization grows organically, it’s playing it’s part.

Mastodon is now over a million users, a million-five now, maybe. That’s nothing if you have to compare with FB, but that’s a pointless comparison. Compare it to GNU Social and Diaspora, though, which have been at the game longer and have less users than Masto, then the stat looks a lot different. So, it may not be the time-wasting entertainment so many phone zombies crave from FB and Twitter, but Masto is definitely doing something right.

Anyway, I don’t want this to be a Mastodon thread. I was intending it to share different decentralized alternatives to centralized systems. Thread subject adjusted.

Textpattern certainly counts as decentralized software! (Compared to Medium, tumblr, etc.)

colak · 2018-04-10 10:18:22

Destry wrote #310834:

This one’s for you, Michael… PeerTube, the decentralized YouTube alternative.

Wouldn’t this need a very strong server? Both in bandwidth and CPU usage?

Destry · 2018-04-10 11:03:59

PeerTube, like a lot of these decentralized alternatives to social platforms, is not a tool that offers much value on shared hosting, no.

But it might be perfectly fine on a Digital Ocean droplet, or whatever, that can be set low and scaled up as needed.

Also, the thing to remember with decentralization is you’re not trying to be the one instance to rule them all. You’re just one vessel in a fediverse of boats. Or one planet in a galaxy, if you want. You can control both volume and scope of what your instance is used for, and who can access it.

And just as it’s the case for Mastodon, where it can be used by one person only for total control over their own content, while still having a key to the fediverse of other instances, PeerTube, and any other decentralized system in the fediverse model, works similarly. But the ideal situation is to limit your instance to a limited number of users accounts and define the kinds of things that can be shared there. Give the instance a theme or purpose.

For example, there was a guy in Masto the other day who was proposing to start a PeerTube instance used only as a place to archive/share public-domain images and video that artists on Mastodon (there are a lot) could have access to. That’s a good use.

Another might be a PeerTube instance that you use for your family photos, and only your family has accounts to it. Anything is possible.

The point is, your instance, or anyone’s, does not just become a free-for-all garbage dump like YouTube is. And when instances are curated like that, they can stay smaller and use less resources. And when you have enough instances like that, the fediverse becomes increasingly more interesting.

BYOB, man, BYOB.

colak · 2018-04-10 16:13:34

DTube also looks interesting as it makes use of the blockchain.

Destry · 2018-04-10 18:12:48

This is cool. Occupy.Here is a decentralized router solution for people localized in on area to message and share files more safely.

Doesn’t have to be for occupy events, obviously.

colak · 2018-04-10 18:44:32

I think I have posted this one here before; A projected we exhibited last year. qaul.net. It works on all smart mobiles with wifi and it does not even require a card (a mobile service provider). All IP addresses are encrypted and hardware specs (anything, to the mac address) are never stored. The downside is that all messages are broadcasted to everyone connected to the network.

colak · 2018-04-14 07:20:52

There is a large list of articles and alternative software here.

Destry · 2018-04-17 15:20:45

NextCloud is decentralized cloud storage, and GDPR compliant, apparently.

Also, the German gov’s IT branch (ITZBund) just decided on NextCloud as their storage system tech.

Vienuolis · 2018-04-18 10:06:03

Destry wrote #311113:

NextCloud is decentralized cloud storage, and GDPR compliant, apparently.

I have installed NextCloud last year, and I am very disappointed — no direct hotlink, even as an option for the owner! Despite 130+100 MB of bloated code.

Last edited by Vienuolis (2018-04-19 05:59:49)

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#1 2018-04-09 09:25:21