Stefan Hadlin

5+ billion people live & work on the internet. Only a handful of companies own & control it. READ WRITE OWN by @cdixon is a powerful new book about this core technology—a manifesto for reclaiming the internet from Big Tech. Here are 10 world-disrupting ideas from this must-read: 1. Blockchain networks (BNs) are a new construction material for building a better internet. The internet is supposedly free, but we pay a heavy price every time we log on: No privacy, ownership, or control over our identities, content, or network. "Blockchain networks are a new construction material for building a better internet." (pg xxiv) 2. Networks decide the world’s winners & losers. You're using the internet to build a business or audience, market your product, or grow awareness for your cause. You think if you work harder, create more & better content, engage more, you will succeed. Not true. "Network design is destiny. Networks are the organizing framework that enables billions of people to intelligibly interact. They decide the world’s winners and losers. Their algorithms decide where money and attention will flow. The structure of a network guides how that network will evolve and where wealth and power accumulate." (pg 3) 3. BNs turn “don’t be evil” into “can’t be evil.” Google's motto was DON'T BE EVIL. And then they were. "Blockchain networks turn “don’t be evil” into “can’t be evil.” Their architecture provides strong guarantees that their data and code will forever remain open & remixable." (pg 110) 4. BNs make internet users into owners. Online, you're not just a user you're being used (by Big Tech). Blockchain networks make users into owners. "Community ownership is baked into their core design. It’s in their DNA." (pg 140) 5. BNs make the internet an accelerant (not inhibitor) for human creativity & authenticity. "Corporate networks devour tens of billions of dollars that might otherwise have funded an immeasurably greater diversity of content. We can do better. The internet should be an accelerant for human creativity and authenticity, not an inhibitor." (pg 194) 6. NFTs allow digital ownership and make the internet a win-win marketplace. By 2030 the digital world will mediate most aspects of our physical lives. Without digital ownership we will become massively impoverished. NFTs allow digital ownership and make the internet a win-win marketplace. "NFTs create a new layer of value—digital ownership—that didn’t exist before. They’re general-purpose containers for representing ownership." (pg 203) "NFTs add layers of scarce value onto a sea of abundant media. They provide an elegant solution to the attention-monetization dilemma. Creators can make money through new business models, inspired by virtual goods in video games. The internet can keep doing what it does best, copying and remixing. It’s a win-win." (pgs 206-207) 7. BNs prevent a Ready Player One dystopian future. The metaverse is the next frontier for life & work. "As the quality of virtual experiences improves, digital interactions will spill over into the physical world. You might make friends, meet a future spouse, or get a new job in “virtual” reality. As more of the economy moves online, more jobs will exist solely in online worlds. The distinction between work and play will blur. What happens in digital worlds will have consequences and meaning in the physical world." (pg 195) Who will control it? "If open systems like protocol or blockchain networks don’t step in to fill the void, corporate networks will, and then the world will end up with the dystopia of Ready Player One." (pg 198) 8. BNs can make money & financial infrastructure public goods that benefit all. Money and finance are overdue for disruption. Sending money is expensive. Monetary systems favor the few & the exclude most people. "Finance has always been centralized, run mostly by for-profit companies, but it doesn’t have to be. Blockchain networks can make financial infrastructure a public good, upgrading the internet from handling bits to handling money." (pg 216) 9. In the age of AI, BNs can create better economics for creators & counter deepfakes. AI as currently architected cannibalizes creators and destroys online trust. "If an AI system can instantly generate an image, why go searching for images by human artists to cite or license? If AI can summarize news, why go read primary sources? AI systems will be a one-stop shop. Most current AI systems have no economic model for creators." (pg 219) "Video often serves as a ground truth on an internet already awash with conflicting interpretations of events. Deepfakes make video no longer trustworthy." (pg 222) Fortunately, blockchain networks are a countervailing force. "Blockchain networks could be the foundation for a new covenant. Creators could set terms and conditions for using their work, backed up by software-enforced rules and copyright restrictions focused on commercial uses, including AI training. The blockchain would enforce an attribution system that allocates portions of revenue generated by the AI systems back to the creators who contributed to their training." (pg 221) "Turing tests no longer distinguish real people from bots, and people can no longer tell real from fake media. The right approach is a credibly neutral, community-owned network—a blockchain network—that makes authenticity a trusted internet primitive. (pg 225) 10. Blockchain networks are a timely & much-needed movement to create the internet humanity wants. Blockchain networks are a movement to reclaim the internet from Big Tech and return it to people. "Blockchain networks are like cities, built from the bottom up by the people who inhabit them. Entrepreneurs build businesses, creators cultivate audiences, and users have meaningful choices, rights, agency. Networks operate transparently, governed by communities. People who contribute are rewarded financially. It’s an internet built by everybody, for everybody. (pg 229) "Anyone can participate — whether you’re a developer, creator, entrepreneur, or user. This is a chance to create the internet we want, not the internet we inherited." (pg xxviii)

mishadavinci's tweet photo. 5+ billion people live & work on the internet. Only a handful of companies own & control it.

READ WRITE OWN by @cdixon is a powerful new book about this core technology—a manifesto for reclaiming the internet from Big Tech.

Here are 10 world-disrupting ideas from this must-read:

1. Blockchain networks (BNs) are a new construction material for building a better internet.

The internet is supposedly free, but we pay a heavy price every time we log on:

No privacy, ownership, or control over our identities, content, or network.

"Blockchain networks are a new construction material for building a better internet." (pg xxiv)

2. Networks decide the world’s winners & losers.

You're using the internet to build a business or audience, market your product, or grow awareness for your cause.

You think if you work harder, create more & better content, engage more, you will succeed. Not true.

"Network design is destiny. Networks are the organizing framework that enables billions of people to intelligibly interact. They decide the world’s winners and losers. Their algorithms decide where money and attention will flow. The structure of a network guides how that network will evolve and where wealth and power accumulate." (pg 3)

3. BNs turn “don’t be evil” into “can’t be evil.”

Google's motto was DON'T BE EVIL. And then they were.

"Blockchain networks turn “don’t be evil” into “can’t be evil.”

Their architecture provides strong guarantees that their data and code will forever remain open & remixable." (pg 110)

4. BNs make internet users into owners.

Online, you're not just a user you're being used (by Big Tech).

Blockchain networks make users into owners.

"Community ownership is baked into their core design. It’s in their DNA." (pg 140)

5. BNs make the internet an accelerant (not inhibitor) for human creativity & authenticity.

"Corporate networks devour tens of billions of dollars that might otherwise have funded an immeasurably greater diversity of content.

We can do better.

The internet should be an accelerant for human creativity and authenticity, not an inhibitor." (pg 194)

6. NFTs allow digital ownership and make the internet a win-win marketplace.

By 2030 the digital world will mediate most aspects of our physical lives.

Without digital ownership we will become massively impoverished.

NFTs allow digital ownership and make the internet a win-win marketplace.

"NFTs create a new layer of value—digital ownership—that didn’t exist before. They’re general-purpose containers for representing ownership." (pg 203)

"NFTs add layers of scarce value onto a sea of abundant media. They provide an elegant solution to the attention-monetization dilemma. Creators can make money through new business models, inspired by virtual goods in video games. The internet can keep doing what it does best, copying and remixing. It’s a win-win." (pgs 206-207)

7. BNs prevent a Ready Player One dystopian future.

The metaverse is the next frontier for life & work.

"As the quality of virtual experiences improves, digital interactions will spill over into the physical world. You might make friends, meet a future spouse, or get a new job in “virtual” reality. As more of the economy moves online, more jobs will exist solely in online worlds. The distinction between work and play will blur. What happens in digital worlds will have consequences and meaning in the physical world." (pg 195)

Who will control it?

"If open systems like protocol or blockchain networks don’t step in to fill the void, corporate networks will, and then the world will end up with the dystopia of Ready Player One." (pg 198)

8. BNs can make money & financial infrastructure public goods that benefit all.

Money and finance are overdue for disruption.

Sending money is expensive. Monetary systems favor the few & the exclude most people.

"Finance has always been centralized, run mostly by for-profit companies, but it doesn’t have to be. Blockchain networks can make financial infrastructure a public good, upgrading the internet from handling bits to handling money." (pg 216)

9. In the age of AI, BNs can create better economics for creators & counter deepfakes.

AI as currently architected cannibalizes creators and destroys online trust.

"If an AI system can instantly generate an image, why go searching for images by human artists to cite or license? If AI can summarize news, why go read primary sources? AI systems will be a one-stop shop.

Most current AI systems have no economic model for creators." (pg 219)

"Video often serves as a ground truth on an internet already awash with conflicting interpretations of events. Deepfakes make video no longer trustworthy." (pg 222)

Fortunately, blockchain networks are a countervailing force.

"Blockchain networks could be the foundation for a new covenant. Creators could set terms and conditions for using their work, backed up by software-enforced rules and copyright restrictions focused on commercial uses, including AI training. The blockchain would enforce an attribution system that allocates portions of revenue generated by the AI systems back to the creators who contributed to their training." (pg 221)

"Turing tests no longer distinguish real people from bots, and people can no longer tell real from fake media. The right approach is a credibly neutral, community-owned network—a blockchain network—that makes authenticity a trusted internet primitive. (pg 225)

10. Blockchain networks are a timely & much-needed movement to create the internet humanity wants.

Blockchain networks are a movement to reclaim the internet from Big Tech and return it to people.

"Blockchain networks are like cities, built from the bottom up by the people who inhabit them. Entrepreneurs build businesses, creators cultivate audiences, and users have meaningful choices, rights, agency. Networks operate transparently, governed by communities. People who contribute are rewarded financially. It’s an internet built by everybody, for everybody. (pg 229)

"Anyone can participate — whether you’re a developer, creator, entrepreneur, or user. This is a chance to create the internet we want, not the internet we inherited." (pg xxviii)

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Stefan Hadlin

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