Empire

The Case for a New Internet | Curtis Yarvin & Jake Brukhman, Urbit

7 snips
Sep 24, 2024
Guest
Jake Brukhman
Guest
Curtis Yarvin
Curtis Yarvin, founder of Urbit, and Jake Brukhman, a key figure in the project, discuss the urgent need to rethink the internet's structure. They delve into the journey from its decentralized roots to a centralized model, highlighting the decline of online communities. Yarvin introduces Urbit as a remedy for compromised digital sovereignty and explores concepts like accountable monarchy in governance. The duo also contemplates the implications of true ownership in the blockchain era and how innovations like personal servers can reshape user experiences.
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INSIGHT

Decline of Early Internet Quality

  • The early internet was decentralized, personal, and upheld high-quality communities like Usenet.
  • Over time, centralization caused quality to decline due to lack of enforceable selection mechanisms.
INSIGHT

Centralization Due to Scale Problems

  • The internet centralized because early architectures couldn't scale quality control effectively.
  • Systems like Usenet failed to maintain social quality when novice influxes overwhelmed social norms.
INSIGHT

Urbit’s Unique Identity System

  • Urbit combines decentralized identity and decentralized computing into one system.
  • Each identity is a memorable, alien-sounding name tied to a unique network address.
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