Editing Decentralized networks (section)

== Pieces of the Puzzle ==

=== Local computers with normal browsers ===
You can find them at home, at friends' places, at school, in Internet Cafés. They can be used for surfing the web, but we can't expect any special software on these machines.

=== Local computers with special P2P software ===

=== (Small) social networks with user profiles ===
This is where you would upload your pictures, write about your hobbies, etc. You could even use different sites for that: Have your photos on flickr, but your profile information somewhere else.

One of these networks can store your friend links, another your messages..

=== Meeting places (groups, forums) ===
If user profiles are distributed on different networks, we still want groups and forums that connect people from different networks. The most simple example is: A and B each have a blog, that are technically independent of each other. A leaves a comment on blog B, with a link pointing to blog A.

The problem is that B can't be sure if A is really A, or if it C who claims to be A to spread all kinds of libel and nonsense. So, the advanced version would provide a possibility for A to prove that it is truly A (the person with blog A), and not someone else.

=== Dedicated systems for friend links, messages, different kinds of interaction ===
Honestly, I have no idea how this would look like :)

=== Services for Moderation and Conflict Handling ===
Similar to the Couchsurfing MDST, there could be services that can filter out inappropriate [[reference]]s, or decide which profiles are relevant to you or not. Sounds quite abstract and unclear, needs to be fleshed out. Somewhere else I used the term "reference realms".

=== Aggregation Services ===
This can be bigger players (google, whatever) that scan user profiles on different sites and offer this information for searching or to deliver pages with information mashed up from different sources.

We can want this or not, we can fight these aggregation services or use them. In any case, they are part of the picture, and can't be ignored.