In my opinion the best thing about the Internet is it enables everyone to reach anyone, anywhere and share anything. It's a great levelling force, or it potentially could be. It's rather worrisome that in recent years the same kind of top-heavy power structures out in the real world seem to have taken control on the Internet too. It would be a pity were it to become just a glitzed up version of our world.
To reach its potential the most important single technology remains decentralisation. The average netizen should be able to serve and control his own data, even if he/she didn't create much of it in the first place.
I wouldn't want to live in a world where all real functionality moves to the Cloud and all our devices just become I/O thin clients. Saying that the average user won't care is frankly self-fulfilling and defeatist. How would they care if they are not provided alternatives to centralised services that are usable and compelling?
To reach its potential the most important single technology remains decentralisation. The average netizen should be able to serve and control his own data, even if he/she didn't create much of it in the first place.
I wouldn't want to live in a world where all real functionality moves to the Cloud and all our devices just become I/O thin clients. Saying that the average user won't care is frankly self-fulfilling and defeatist. How would they care if they are not provided alternatives to centralised services that are usable and compelling?