Part III - Revolutionizing Information Access: Decentralization

IPFS, or the InterPlanetary File System, is a technology that aims to change the way we store and access information on the internet.

Building a Book Club: A Tale of Two Approaches

Imagine you want to start a book club with some friends. You already own a collection of physical books your friends are interested in, and you want to share them. There are a couple of ways you could do this, similar to how digital files are shared using different methods.

In the traditional method, your role is book club owner and organizer. Everyone who wants a book must come to you to get one. When someone requests a specific book, they have to ask you for it, and you have to retrieve it from your collection and give it to them. This method resembles how brick-and-mortar stores operate. The store controls the products, and the store must be open for customers to shop. In this scenario, you are the central point of control and distribution for the entire book club. For your book club to work, this means you have to be available anytime a friend wants a book. Your availability would limit how large the book club could grow. It would also determine when and how quickly books can be distributed.

In a decentralized method, you and your friends would each have a collection of books you share through the book club community. If someone asks for a specific book, any friend who has that book could give it to them. This method gives everyone more access and a more comprehensive selection of books while eliminating the need for you to be available or control the book club. The decentralized approach would allow the book club to grow regardless of your availability. There would be no central control or authority, and anyone can share with anyone else.

IPFS: Decentralized File Sharing for the Digital World

In decentralized and peer-to-peer file sharing, files are not confined to or controlled by a single central location. People can access information directly from one another, enhancing efficiency and resiliency. IPFS was created with this purpose in mind—to create a decentralized web using a peer-to-peer protocol.

Sticking with the book example 🤓, consider the traditional internet like a library, where each book (file) is stored in a specific location with a unique address (URL). You need to know that exact address to find what you’re looking for.

The traditional internet faces some of the same limitations that could hinder the growth of the book club. The internet relies on big data centers and servers to store information, often controlled by major corporations due to the considerable expense involved. This centralized approach can result in slow performance, susceptibility to outages, and censorship. Recently, more concerns have emerged about how our data is stored and used, leading to the need for a more innovative and decentralized solution.

A second limitation is redundancy. If many people want the same book (file) from the library (internet), it can lead to storage and bandwidth issues. For example, a website may crash during a ticket sale.

IPFS addresses many of these challenges. Instead of concentrating information in a single central point, it distributes data across numerous locations, utilizing a peer-to-peer network system. When you want to access information, you can retrieve it directly from others. This makes information distribution more resilient and resistant to outages or censorship while optimizing the distribution process. IPFS could be especially useful for sharing and accessing data in scenarios with unreliable internet connections, like in remote areas.

A New Era of Information Sharing

IPFS offers a glimpse into the future of a more decentralized and equitable internet, where information is shared seamlessly among users. As the book club flourishes when members collectively share their resources, IPFS creates a digital landscape that promotes collaboration, efficiency, and accessibility.

Next, we will discuss how IPFS can further address the challenges of information distribution. Stay tuned!