Blockchain and traces of the future
Big justice crushes small buds–
I would like to talk about the future of humanity and the position of this site, including a video of me walking in Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan.
In October 2020, we walked around Roppongi’s two buildaings, Midtown and Hills, talking about their design philosophy over the changes in society, including blockchain.
The situation has arisen in Japan, where I live, where I have to work from home (remote work), which has so far been turned away from active utilization except for some types of businesses. This is the first postwar change in the structure of life involving years as the population of the country declines in an increasing number of areas.
Going back to the Yayoi period (Japan had no kings or other authorities prior to the Neolithic period when immigrants arrived from Korea), I believe that since that time, human beings have basically regarded efficient living as a good thing by increasing dependence on large forces. While the rise, domination, and concentration of major powers are, from one side, associated with efficiency, from another side they create sanctuaries that hinder overall efficiency and development over a long period of time. It also seems to me that each side loses its individuality.
The Birth of Roppongi Hills and Differences with Tokyo Midtown
When Roppongi Hills was built, many people were fascinated by its huge architecture and the fact that it encompassed everything from commercial facilities to offices, hotels, and museums. However, Roppongi was not the only place where this was the case. In the provinces, the concentration of compact cities and shopping malls was only getting stronger. On the day I visited Roppongi Hills for the first time, I saw the approach to the building through the ticket gates without even stepping outside, and I felt as if people were being swallowed up by a giant monster.
A short time later, Tokyo Midtown was built in Roppongi. The building structure here was also peculiar. The building was not overbearing with its east-west glass facade, and it was integrated with its surroundings. Although this building was very plain compared to Roppongi Hills when it was completed, I felt the future in Midtown, which quietly rebelled against such consolidation.
By 2023, some people are taking off their masks, and the furor caused by coronas is subsiding. Some companies have stopped telecommuting. On the other hand, there have been reports that Seibu Railway in Kanto, which operates a railroad system in which mobility is the key to business, cannot deny the effectiveness of its telecommuting system. If the way people work in the workplace were to be adapted to work at home, it would be too much, but if the characteristics of telecommuting were to be utilized, the time spent commuting and other non-work related activities would also be useful, and the effect would be great.
In any case, Corona was an opportunity for the online NFT (((( NFT = Non-Fungible Token means “irreplaceable token”. Awareness of blockchains, such as )))) and cryptographic assets (virtual currencies), which can make digital data more difficult to copy or tamper with and have asset value because of the mutual verification of participants, has grown in strength. In the past, in the 2010s, Web 2.0, the ability to communicate was considered essential for the future, and it is now entering the era of Web 3.
NFT and other aspects of the site may be difficult for some to understand as of 2023, so I will use this site as a concrete example for explanation, while summarizing it from both directions as background to the revised site. We hope you will read this article as an article that considers the future rather than the current situation.
Twitter (X ) management has shown us that
At the time of writing, in 2023, Twitter ( X as of 2023), a text communication tool that was part of the social networking services that led the Web 2.0 era and was known as microblogging, has been shaken.
The change in management has eliminated the operation of articles of a particular ideology being published in prominent places until now, and the services of a particular company have been good in some respects, such as providing a place to discuss the verification of the accuracy of the articles. On the other hand, there have also been many account freezes where accuracy is uncertain. It was particularly impressive that people continued to have their existence (accounts) erased due to posts that were at odds with management.
I also observed that many users around me were perplexed by an environment that was changing at the behest of new management. I think that this suggests that a major power can be at risk of confusion and sometimes collapse, depending on who is holding it.
It is not unusual to hear stories like this, regardless of whether it is a service such as Twitter or a domestic or international service, that the quality or taste of a product has changed due to a change in the generation of management in a store or a professional business, for example. It is very difficult to maintain a brand and an unchanging spirit in a changing social environment, and until now, this has been the case.
A trend was emerging to break free from such a tie to a single location. The era of the decentralized Web has arrived.
One of these is the “Fediverse ,” which allows for dialogue beyond the community to which you belong.
Threads and a turnaround in the trend is now underway.
Photo Sharing Site Instagram and Facebook been running Meta is Threads The company has begun offering a text communication service called )))) with the promise that it will be compatible with )))), which allows users to follow and browse across the boundaries of independent service servers that provide distributed social networking services that are Fediverse (((( compliant in the future.
Until now, many companies have enclosed themselves by increasing their dependence on that service. This is because as a large company, decentralized systems are not profitable and therefore not preferred.
Meta’s trend has the potential to change the trend of decentralized services that have not taken root in the general public. Of course, Meta’s decision to enter the decentralized SNS market is based on the fact that it is profitable for them, but it is a significant change in the sense that there has not been a trend that has become generally known and triggered actual use of such a service.
A world where people can be evaluated by their character instead of by their physical units.
For example, in manufacturing, when the decision-making authority is absolute, good or bad is determined by the unit of “people,” and even though it is business, there were opaque areas such as collusion. This was like a ritual for the rulers to enforce the binding of the participants, and this sometimes created an atmosphere in which some people atrophied and were not allowed to speak out.
Even if it was fine within that group, it was also a hindrance to development in that the more people who objected, the more new possibilities there were when considering our development as a human race. There is also a lack of equality.
Giving people something to live for
In a decentralized blockchain, there are no absolutes, and decisions must be agreed upon by a majority. The sense of hierarchy is also unnecessary and diluted, so naturally, human expertise and character are important.
A world of increased specialization is likely to grow steadily as people are required to select and validate better in each of their specialties. And I believe that roles are an aspect of human life that will lead to a sense of fulfillment.
The fragmented specialties may be complemented by other aggregating technologies such as AI, but that is another story.
Looking back, we have seen several times in the past when an environment not bound by a single authority seemed desirable, although we had given up on it because it had been the norm until now. In this sense, it is safe to say that this is the general trend worldwide in the future.
We will continue to publish our information on this site as an independent website, independent of any company. We have also decided to use the Fediverse and other such mechanisms.
Lowering the threshold to conversation and making it easier to verify correctness
Looking at another specific perspective, the way comments are made is also about to change, although this has not yet been implemented on this site.
Many people may have felt that “comments” are a bit difficult to post on social networking sites and messaging applications, where textual information is the main focus, until now. Even when I was managing this site, the only people who commented were those who had very special feelings for me. I think I would have mentioned the article by pasting its URL into the message app instead of commenting on the site.
That’s it, on a site that supports federatedverse, what you enter in the comments section becomes a “statement” where you belong. You will also receive a response from the site administrator as a reply (reply). The data is maintained in each of the two sites. In this way, the threshold for participation will be lowered, and it is likely that the community will become more active and aware of problems more quickly.
At this stage, the site is not yet suited for active communication like a social networking service, but we will also send out content only for those who follow (register as a friend).
The following information will vary depending on whether you are following this site or not
If you see this, you are not being followed. We look forward to following you!
Diversify your money and insurance.
Another comparable example is crypto-assets. This may be easier to understand if you replace “works” such as statements and postings we have been talking about with “money”.
There was also the presence of a controlling person, but in money, the presence of an intermediary was conspicuous. It is the entity that collects the commission. Direct exchange of money can be problematic. Carrying cash was dangerous, and there were those who would try to evade payment or cheat others. The intermediary was there to protect against such things.
However, when this is a crypto asset, its existence is unnecessary. The sender and receiver of the money can exchange it directly and securely.
The problem of not being able to undo/delete or make changes
There is also a problem. The basic problem is that because of its secrecy, it cannot be revoked by someone with authority (a controlling person), for example. While the owner of the crypto asset itself can change, there is no one who has control over it, so the information transacted is irrevocable.
It may be a little confusing, but whether it is a statement or a transaction, “taking it back” creates problems.
For example, insurance is also supplemented by diversified
It seems that decentralized will compensate for such problems of the decentralized web era. In reality, some insurance policies are also realized in a decentralized manner.
Not long ago, crowdfunding attracted attention as a way for individuals and small organizations to secure funds and achieve their goals by investing in an attractive plan with other people who agree with the plan. Similar to this, insurance is also funded by many people, and the money raised is used to guarantee people involved in accidents.
For example, an insurance system in case of theft or harm is also possible with the blockchain by funding each other and then compensating those affected in the event of trouble.
Introduction at COTA’s site
In addition to the site and community, crypto assets are also being introduced as a means of payment.
Until now, we had not introduced any kind of payment on the site. When we do something primarily for individuals, we were uniformly open to the idea of using the services of a specific company or paying a fee, because besides the cost, it was not fair to each party’s position.
I believe that this kind of thinking made the threshold for web content itself higher, not only for me, but also for many other people. At the same time, I think that the trend toward openness made it difficult to give back to the creators.
I am going to introduce and test crypto assets myself, with the hope that the world will be a more unique place to be enjoyed by all!
Contents will be displayed for those who have made crypto asset payments
Recording to the World
At the risk of repeating myself, unlike the services provided by large corporations, which can be controlled by corporations, decentralized services have no absolute entity to control.
Anyway, what is important and absolute is that the individually assigned numbers (IDs) are not allowed to be duplicated or tampered with. In this way, it is important to assign numbers not only to statements but also to creations, and to declare “I made it.
By keeping such numbers and publication records, it is possible to avoid situations in which secondary or tertiary works are created in places unknown to the original creator, or in which compensation is paid only to the secondary creator without being traced back to the original creator.
In any case, unique information is essential for creative works, expressions, and statements. Therefore, URL, content, date of posting, contributor, edit history, etc. We will also time-stamp this site’s publications, recording the information on a blockchain that is said to be impossible to tamper with or erase.
I am currently trying several methods, but the CMS system does not support them well, and I have not found my own optimal solution. (I will refrain from giving more specific examples at this time, as I am sure things will change from time to time, including the current trends in the world, etc.)
going back to the starting point
Those who know me, COTA, from the Web 1.0, have seen how I have created a home or secret base for our former distribution and social networking sites.
Until now, motivation was also lowered by the fact that without everyone’s help, the program would not be operational in the first place, would be difficult to achieve due to conflicting schedules, and would not remain as an asset because it would not be placed in a unique location.
I would like to keep updating the information as I look forward to the future when I send out the information as a unit.
Dinner in Gotanda (miscellaneous downtown area), Tokyo after talking about Roppongi
Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. I felt that the difference in the design philosophy of these two buildings tells us something about the future of humankind. With these two buildings in the background, we moved to downtown Gotanda, which can be described as a downtown area, instead of Roppongi, to enjoy dinner. Just as each city in Tokyo has a different look, I guess we should not forget to enjoy the various characteristics of each city and the various ways of being.