I have been studying up on block chain, and will be meddling more with it to develop a network where content can be distributed, traded, and protected. There are a lot of pieces that I still need to learn, a big one is understanding the theory behind currency, value, and micro/macro economic interactions. Will there be a crypto currency involved in this? In some ways yes, there needs to be some token/currency system tied to interactions. By having a value system in place there are a number of natural benefits that occur.
Why value matters in social interaction
We may not be fully cognizant of it, but collectively we are the most valuable employees to Google, Facebook etc. We are quite literally their money maker. In return for our labor, we get the privilige to use their awesome services. Yay! Wait… that doesn't seem quite right. By purely using their service (not paying for it), we become their revenue source. It seems a bit odd. The data we generate by using Facebook, Google, etc. is very useful and valuable. If the data wasn't these tech behemoths wouldn't be where they are today. Targeted advertising is a good thing, but needs to be revamped a bit. I like Facebook, and Google, they are great, but I question how fair this system seems. We provide them their value, and all we really get in return is a slightly higher level of convenience, I am not sure how well balanced this exchange of value is.
We need to start realizing our own value in our everyday interactions online. Value is exchanged all the time in our searches, page clicks, reading of content, interactions, and messages. We are usually unaware of it though. Without a value system/currency backing these interactions though it is hard to discourage things like harassment, spamming, and other negative behaviors, because ultimately there is no price to be paid. We have high cost infrastructure to help combat these things, but the economics of interaction are a force we are not leveraging. Am I saying you will need to pay to engage? Yes, but not with income we use to buy goods and services. A token system can exist completely aside from a currency, even though they are the same thing pretty much. Remember that our engagement is the real value to companies like Google & Facebook, so why not have some of the value come back our way?
Do I have the perfect plan for all of this? No. A colossal NO. I really have no idea how to approach any of this, but I think the problem is clear enough to start trying to chip away at it.
Choosing a block chain
After reviewing the many many systems in place, Ethereum seems like a pretty safe starting place for the backing blockchain. After reviewing a seemingly endless set of blockchains, tokens, and more, I came to the decision that Ethereum has the best tools, community, and openness to get poking around. I have already begun working on things, (more like stumbling) and am excited to share the progress with everyone and get more people involved. If you have any extra knowledge about developing apps on a blockchain help is appreciated, drop a comment! If you are excited or terrified, also drop a comment, as I would love to hear more thoughts.