Dave The Web Guy
Blog Locked and Loaded for 2022
12/31/2021
Well here it is 2022! Or it will be by the time you make your way to these words. You will notice the site is now hosted by "dwghoster.com", and that I've tweaked the blog's presentation a bit.
Behind the scenes I also updated the SQL code which consumed a good many of my days off from work to do so.
This is a big year for me because all the work I put into this blogging system last year will now allow me to focus more on the craft, content, and the encouragement of others to join me in rebuilding an ad-free blogging network (see my post on Reddit looking for local bloggers to help get the ball rolling).
Decentralization and direct control over data are going to be my key digital strategies in 2022. I'm putting more operational mechanics and power back onto the PC where things are responsive, and most of all, private.
It turns out that this impulse is in complete alignment with something called Web 3.0, of which a key theme is decentralization.
And here is the lame first-hit when Googling that, and what they say:
Web 3.0 is anticipated to help overcome this problem as it is expected to be a decentralized version of the Internet where people have control over their data. The third version of the internet will have more transparency and boast massive content that will be accessible to all.
What's Old is Artificially New Again
As far as the digital industry and pundits are concerned this goes hand in hand with blockchain stuff, which is fine. But the fact is, the internet and world wide web are decentralized by their very nature. When people talk about decentralizing, they're literally talking about going back to the way things once were in habit and process.
People need things to happen as a paradigm shift in order to validate, I dunno, whatever riches their punditry and professional reputations get them.
It's too soon to say if the forces and institutions that are invested in centralization and all of the control and monetization that go along with it will successfully mount a counter-revolution (e.g., perhaps making sure they are secretly the de-centralizers, if they can pull that off without anyone noticing). But at least the mantra and spirit are spot on.
Either Way...I'm Decentralizing
No matter what ultimately comes to be, I myself am taking control of my digital property, data, and identity. I've moved most of my accumulated data off the cloud, thanks to a NAS system, and I've gone back to the Microsoft ecosystem where files can still be generated using client-side applications.
I can anticipate the collective gasps that I would consider Microsoft to be an instrument of decentralization, them being one of the evil tech empires and all. But in the very specific context I just described, they are.
Microsoft as a company sells software and solutions first, and (seems) to dabble in advertising and search second. For me, that matters.
Of course, the distinction doesn't change the fact that they have an inferior cloud product when compared to Google, a situation that in my opinion arises from failing to create their own "device-in-hand" hardware; smart device home line; or any real auto solution. Not to mention that to offer any cloud ecosystem at all, they have to retrofit their legacy product line to work with one. To me the latter still seems to walk with all the elegance of Frankenstein, though I do believe they will get it together one day.
Google by contrast was able to design from the ground up with only the cloud in mind, and now their universe is just so much more effectively all-encompassing.
Ducking the big tech cloud as the point, however, means I am uncaring of the quality of their cloud success. It's how I can still use their programs in my space that is the issue.
Should Microsoft ever abandon its PC-line of software and force everyone to use their products as a web service for good, I'd probably move on to any number of freeware software to continue. But, let's hope Microsoft sees the ironic wisdom in giving consumers the option of de-clouding, and continues to provide the professional service-approach ecosystem to pull that off.
I'm Bringing You Along
I'm going to decentralize you too this year by being more vocal about blogging (getting off social media, or, perhaps more like me, at least maintaining a blog), and, believe it or not, I have my eye on getting people back to Usenet with contemporary arguments for doing so. More on that coming up.
By Dave for Personal Blog.
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