And so I enter the decentralised web...
Sitting with my flatmates, getting excited about the latest news in the world of crypto, checking out new technologies, getting excited on multiple levels about the opportunities of the future.
Big gap from a few months ago when my darling partner committed suicide; literally every part of my life changed and I lost all hope, meaning and reason for living beyond not burdening my communities with another funeral. My passions were tainted - studying in addiction services, collecting cacti and succulents, even the fact I was walking my dog when they did it, I've since rehomed my dog, selling my collection and dropped out of college. It's difficult to communicate the existential crisis I felt with the loss of not just such a deeply loved one, but the loss of everything that gave me excitement or hope for the future, that brought me peace in the present.
It seems strange, on paper, to begin a post on my experience with the decentralised web with such a soul-destroying reference, but the reality is that I haven't only just heard about decentralisation. I have friends who have been trading for years, some who've built well known platforms, I wasn't oblivious to the basic existence of cryptocurrencies. I knew you could use them with Tor to make purchases on the DarkNet, and difficult not to have heard about Bitcoin specifically. I used to roll my eyes and glaze over when I went to visit Birdy and he was watching videos about it on YouTube; I thought it was all about money and I'm not really that interested in money.
After our loss, I moved back in with Birdy and slowly became more exposed to the concepts behind the tech on the market - SubStratum, Wabi, Mana, PivX, Verge - really really impressive levels of innovation. I'm particularly excited about DENT, which has the potential to become the Uber and Air B'nB of mobile data sharing.
I've always had a strong sense of social justice and believe strongly in the ability of communities and individuals to take responsibility for their own lives, beyond the centralised bureacracy of (post)modern life, particularly the urban variety. This was a core aspect of the Social Health and Wellbeing degree I had been studying and I had been dedicated to using the skills I learned to help change the world through social change, beginning with the people at highest disadvantage - the ones being most exploited. After my partner's alcohol-influenced suicide, the concept of directly working with people who were experiencing anything remotely resembling what he was in his last months, or of working with people at high risk of suicide, was just too much. But... I felt that left me with very limited ways of participating in a society with so many traits I hate. And I am experiencing a lot of bitterness and hate since I lost him, can't deny that. But I have actually found an interest, a hobby, a passion, which I didn't think I could do again, for quite a while.
And I realise that I am in an emotional/unstable time at the moment, but I want to say too, that the social potential of decentralised technology to improve peoples' lives and enhance social equality is phenomenal. I'm genuinely excited to think of the range of options to engage with or disengage from greater society - the socially creative potential is enormous.
Of course, I'm sure that means that the potential for it to be hijacked by greed and exploitation is high, as history has shown over and over. Will definitely be keeping a suspicious eye on Ripple.
Well, I guess that's about my first post. Not quite sure how these are going to go, I'm sure I'll develop a more constant as I go on, but I want my steemit to be a place I can share my experiences in this time, hopefully maybe connect with likeminded people - or not - nothing like a good debate to open a mind, share thoughts on upcoming tech, and maybe have the occasional rant about the state of the world. I invite all related comments, questions, disagreements, look forward to engaging :)