There is an interesting irony that social networks and blockchains, two of the most important information technologies of the day, sit in fundamental intellectual tension.
The core idea of a blockchain is that there is a common shared “memory” on which all nodes choose to agree. In a blockchain-based world, consensus is both the goal and the value. If you as an individual choose to disagree with the majority, you are an outcast and thrown out of the system.
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If blockchain technology had been invented and deployed before social networking existed, would we be in the opposite position—decrying the forced consistency and lack of nuance of blockchain-based truth?
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