This is a great read about the web3 landscape as well as a super thoughtful critique from someone who really knows what they’re talking about.
I love this post because it’s not some analysis from an outsider, but rather from a veteran developer who has actually created things using web3 technologies. It makes it harder for the web3-gold-rush participants to just wave away his concerns and criticisms as “oh he just doesn’t understand what we’re doing.” He clearly does.
I think about Moxie often. We were at a conference together in 2014 or 2015 and my talk I painted an extremely rosy picture of the web and the community and creativity it enables. His talk was about the myriad risks around technology, and discussed the dire need for encryption and privacy.
After the conference, we chatted and he expressed his perspective on the web and technology. He talked about hackers being able to hijack peoples’ routers and cause them to catch fire. He talked about misinformation, technology in the hands of autocrats, and other things. At the time, my reaction was “Jesus, this guy is pretty bleak” even though I was enthralled by everything he was saying.
Of course over the last number of years many of his concerns have (unfortunately) come to pass and we all find ourselves in the mess we’re in today. I still believe in the positive aspects of the web and its potential to make the world a better place, but I sometimes feel embarrassed I was so naive and idealistic. I suppose that’s part of living and learning. I’m thankful for people like Moxie who are able to see the real dangers of technology and continue to help steer things in the right direction.