Rumble is making a name for itself. It is also a sign of the times we are in.
Following on Elon Musk's free speech mantra, we see another addition in the "fight" against the establishment. Rumble is doing a great job of making a name for itself as an alternative to YouTube. Many people who post content that is targeted by the largest video platform are also using Rumble.
Now, in addition to a website, the company has opened up its back end, offering cloud service as an option to AWS.
At the core of the discussion is censorship.
Of course, before going any further, we have to make one thing clear. Rumble, like Musk before it, is Web 2.0. This is not Web 3.0. There is no desire to decentralize and trust is still required. Accounts are not owned by the individual but, rather, the company.
In other words, you are there only with its permission.
Rumble Fighting For Free Internet
Why did Rumble survive when so many other "alternative" projects failed?
The answer lies in the fact that Rumble built out its own infrastructure. Other sites that appealed to the "freedom fighters" of the world were dependent upon AWS or some other centralized infrastructure provider. This meant that the vulnerability was moved.
While Rumble is not the answer since it is a mirror image of what went before, it does epitomize what is happening. People are waking up to how the present online world operates. The siloed system is in control of every layer.
There is also a lesson for Web 3.0.
Blockchain technology is a major step but, even with Hive, we are dealing with text storage. Anything to do with audio, video, or images is dependent upon centralized hosting services. This is something we see across the board.
That means the protection is limited.
Rumble is showing the way in this regard by defending itself against attack. Anything posted on its site is resident on servers owners and controlled by the company. This means nothing gets taken down without Rumble doing it.
Of course, it is a private company resident in the United States and is subject to court orders. That said, with no Amazon or Google in the equation, the content is protected.
From a content creators perspective, this might only be switching chairs by the pool. Rumble is simply a different dictator. As long as they allow it, everything is fine.
So its assertion of a free internet is a bit amiss when it is really just another silo being constructed.
Nevertheless, it does start the process of striking a blow at some of the dominant infrastructure players.
True Web 3.0 Infrastructure
Those who are around Hive heard of SpkNetwork. Here is where we see the Rumble idea taken to another level.
The design here is true decentralization. Instead of building a server network, a protocol is being built. This means that people are going to be able to run infrastructure. One of the keys is that individuals are incentivized to do this.
Here is where the entire discussion shifts.
With Rumble, you have two things. The first is the infrastructure is all controlled by one company. Secondly, even if they opened it up, there is no incentive. This is one of the problems with Lightning Network. Without any incentive, node operators will have to monetize in other ways.
That is where things can go amok. With the Internet, we tend to know how what that monetization looks like.
Here is where Web 3.0 has to start working for the ground up. Without decentralize cloud, no matter what is built on top, we are beholden to the infrastructure providers. Since there are a handful of names involved, those are the points of vulnerability.
There is no reason to trust mega-tech to do anything other than what is in its own best interest. These entities, including X, do not stand for freedom, personal ownership, and individual control. What they stand for could be debated for hours but knowing what they are not about is enough.
Does that include Rumble?
The answer to this question really doesn't matter. Rumble is a point of vulnerability. Even if it decides to be pro-freedom, that can change. Remember, OpenAi is anything but open these days.
In addition to legal ramifications, there could be the money attack. Someone with deep pockets could entice the owners of Rumble with a huge payday. Even if these people are principled in their approach, most of us have a breaking point. Billions of dollars being dangled is going to get the attention of most.
The Bitcoin of the Cloud World
I look at Rumble like Bitcoin in the world of cloud.
It does not matter if Rumble ultimately achieves what it seeks. Odds are it will not, at least to the degree it aspires.
What it does is puts a bullseye on its chest. This is going to be the target if the concept starts to take off.
As the platform grows, the established players will go on the attack. We saw the same thing with Bitcoin. That was the fodder for all the Wall Street and media talking heads. While their focus was on Bitcoin, other things were happening.
I think we see the same thing here.
While Rumble is getting all the attention, the builders can operate in a corner, out of the limelight. With the focus elsewhere, truly decentralized infrastructure, like that which SpkNetwork is putting together, can be finished. It is a massive quandary the industry is confronted with.
Venture capital money can expedite things. The problem here is a repeat of all that went before. With that path, there are still overlords to ultimately call the shots. Their sole concern is a return. At the same time, they are also not going to jeopardize their ability to operate. If one of their projects is putting their livelihoods at risk by garnering the attention of regulators, it isn't going to fly.
Operating without the VC capital simply mean time is the swap. It can still be done, it simply takes more time. That is an issue since infrastructure is a grind anyway. This only adds to it.
Nevertheless, it is crucial to things going forward.
In the meantime, perhaps Rumble will have some success and keep the prying eyeballs occupied. No doubt Google is watching them closely. We will see if the cloud service is successful enough to awaken the likes of Amazon.
All the while, we keep building. By not buying into the idea of a "free internet" by Rumble, we can more accurately address the problem.
Centralization is always a threat, whether it is Rumble or Amazon.
That is the problem we must solve.
Posted Using InLeo Alpha