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Comment by userbinator | Hacker News Reader

Does anyone remember the "decentralized web" of the early 2000s? Varous P2P protocols existed that allowed everyone to share content freely, and they did. Content that was not even originally in digital form was digitised and nothing but a search away. It was amazing. The copyright/media industry didn't like that. Security paranoia (possibly assisted by the industry) also heightened its demise.

I really do hope we see another "rise of P2P", but there seems to be strong commercial interests against it. (Bitcoin itself is rather commercial in nature, as it deals specifically with currency.)

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I remember one of the first VOIP clients (if not the first) PowWow. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowWow_(chat_program)

I remember having to install a gazillion chat clients, each with it's own peculiarities and it got fucking annoying. There were redundant connections galore with one person, but no guarantee that they would be available on all the services all the time, which turned into a chat whack-a-mole.

Decentralization sounds great, but it can be a pain in the ass, sometimes. And if you've somehow managed to set it up to feel like it's centralized then 1) it probably is and 2) you've made it easier for someone to create a one-stop-shop which is centralized, built on top of your decentralization.

There were downsides too. Getting memes from eMule was great, but imgur is so much easier.

Are you of the opinion that p2p piracy has somehow gone away?

I do have to question the notion that free entertainment is what empowers people, but I suppose it isn't the stupidest attempt at justifying piracy I've ever read.

Are you of the opinion that p2p piracy has somehow gone away?

It hasn't, but it's far diminished than what it used to be.

I do have to question the notion that free entertainment is what empowers people, but I suppose it isn't the stupidest attempt at justifying piracy I've ever read.

Not only entertainment, but information in general. Various books and journals, some of which you probably wouldn't even be able to buy a physical copy of, obscure software, etc. "Knowledge is power." Piracy isn't just movies and music...

> Piracy isn't just movies and music

You're right, of course, but this is one of those situations where 99% of cases ruined it for the rest.

And I would argue heavily that p2p is diminished in any way. I don't have anything to do with the piracy subculture and it took me under 5 minutes to find torrents of current movies, tv shows, and albums.

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