- Date: 05/04/2022
- Author: @David_
- Topic: Decentralized Storage
Good evening @everyone
Today we will be talking briefly about
Decentralized storage
A decentralized storage is a distributed way of storing information (videos,image etc.) on different nodes.
When I say node I mean computer.
In a simple term, distributed storage implied that these media are widely distributed and not own by a single or central power. For instance, when Anita stores image of her wedding anniversary on the a decentralized storage, it is widely spread across different computers. Bob, Daniel, Michael, who lives in different regions, will all have access to all of the image that Anita stored on this server.
Why is the system called distributed storage?
This is to remove that power of centralization that some mode of servers possess. We all know of our popular social media, Facebook, Twitter and other reputable ones. These media all have every of our content on their servers. That is to say, they have access to these media, lets use the case of Anita’s wedding anniversary images, when Anita uploads her images and these centralized media finds it unpleasant to them, they have the power to take down these contents.
You see that right? Well, decentralized storage is basically created to give people the sole right to get their contents spread across platform without fear or intimidation of these contents being taken down by some people.
How exactly does decentralized storage become more preferable to other storage system?
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Accessibility: Items, materials, and contents hosted on decentralized medium are expected to go wide and become readily available for everyone to have access to. There have been instances of news, articles, posts, images and many more taken down due to its inability to meet the interest of people in power or perhaps, owners of these servers. This case instance withdraw these contents from people who would have, or are interested in getting these contents.
All of these shift of power to power to different nodes, make it possible for contents to be available in many computers even if Bob deletes it from his computer. -
Right: At the tail end of the explanation of the first, about the shift of power, we see how power has been withdraw from a single person to others. If Anita had hosted her contents to express her happiness for her wedding in a central storage, she sure expects people to have her contents and share in her ocean of happiness. But when her contents are unfitting for the platform, it’s taken down and her happiness shattered. Decentralized platform is the best of place for her to chose.
Does this mean if I use a decentralized storage, all the other computers can see what I have stored?
Thanks for the question. Nice question. You see that more unsafe right?
Now, this is it.
It is not unsafe when you chose to get your content spread across platforms.
It’s dependent on what you intend to spread across multiple nodes. Let’s still use Anita’s wedding anniversary.
After a couple of years, she didn’t have access to her Google drive maybe due to her forgetting her Gmail or password, her contents appears in other nodes and make it accessible despite the number of years.
Cool right? Decentralized storage saves you from uncertain period because your content are readable for the public.
So does that means it is not every information that can be stored on a decentralized storage?
Yes, that’s it. You chose what you want shared across platform, nodes, or computers. That’s what defines it purpose. You want your poems about the unfairness of the government, you get it shared on a decentralized platform without the fear of it being taken power. The content goes way more than poems.
You mentioned that every data we stored in a decentralized storage will be spread across all nodes and can even still be recoverable even when we delete it in our computer. In that case, where is the concern of privacy in a decentralized storage?
Know this: Distributed storage is not blockchain but blockchain has a feature of distributed technology. How is this? These distributed ledger or storage have items stored on them because you intend to get them spread across platforms.
When you speak of an item stored on the blockchain, trust me, you don’t want to mention privacy of that content. Any content pushed to the distributed platform is no longer privacy-laden. The public sees it.
I need to mention that when you creates smart contract, sorry for the deviation, you don’t want to push everything stored on the blockchain be cause your privacy on that is not assured. That’s why, when you interact with DApps, you don’t provide your personal details. You need just your address to interact with the blockchain.
It costs a lot to get items store on the blockchain system that’s why you don’t make your smart contract a database.
Let me put it like this. Contents pushed or hosted or posted on decentralized platform are seen by every. When you need a content widely circulated, the best go is a decentralized platform. If you don’t want a content, because of privacy, you don’t use it.
Is decentralized storage we are discussing today part of the distributed platform you mentioned here?
Yes. They are the same. Platform or storage. Just a synonym. BitTorrent, Filecoin are examples