I have never understood how anything could be ‘one size fits all’. In a world where everyone is genetically, culturally, and personally unique—how could any one item or service truly suit us all?
‘One size fits all’ is a myth, yet we buy into this lazy idea every time we sign up for a “free” messaging app or social media platform. In fact, a centralized service architecture is designed to deliver a standardized experience to everyone—the same platform layouts, the same buttons, and the same content. The only thing that differentiates our social media experience is the targeted advertising.
Sure, centralized services make it easier for people to connect and share with others—photographers can display their pictures on Instagram, streaming services like Spotify give budding musicians a space to showcase their music, and sites like Medium provide a ready-made community for writers to share their stories. Sounds great, except for one big problem—these platforms are centralized.
No matter how unique you, your music, or your musings are—you are at the mercy of the platforms you choose. For example, if you want your album to stand out on Spotify, you’ll need to spend money (via Spotify) on ads and other services to promote your music. This means more money for Spotify, not the struggling musician. What’s crazier is the fact that these platforms ultimately take ownership and control of whatever you post on their sites.
Wouldn’t it make more sense for artists to have the ability to share their work online, on their terms—whether for purchase or for free?
Decentralized technologies like NFTs allow artists to certify their content as authentic and offer direct incentives to fans and followers. Blockchain, NFT, cryptocurrency (call it what you like) represent the new decentralized approach to building connections and monetizing data directly between creators and consumers. If the COVID pandemic has shown us anything, it’s revealed just how tough it is (not easier) to showcase your uniqueness and get noticed online. NFTs and public key encryption give digital creatives a fighting chance to make a living by allowing them to copyright their work and enjoy full control of their creative output.
So, let’s put Big Tech on notice and start to move towards an online future where people can control and monetize their own data on their own terms. Decentralization is the beginning of the end for Big Tech. The fact that each one of us is the David to their Goliath should make us all proud to be Decentralists.