I understand the frustration, as someone working on apps in the space it is clear that there is much to be done.
Dapps right now are still a work in progress and very early. Most of the issues you brought up are known in the space and are actively being worked on. For example, UI file storage is being tackled via the work of ETH Swarm + ENS (also Mist browser), EOS Storage, IPFS Filecoin, etc. Running a full node is not necessarily required, you could immediately access a decentralized network via a light client on many platforms.
Ultimately the end goal for Dapps are to merge the benefits of decentralization (always-available, secure, permissionless, distributed, censorship-resistant, etc) into traditional application models, and in some instances create entirely new types of applications.
As I've said before, when consumers speak of "the cloud" they are usually describing something that sounds much more like decentralized platforms than current centralized solutions. Long-term I think decentralized platforms are going to change every industry in some way. Even from just an accounting perspective it's hard to see how this tech won't change the way we manage and transfer funds.
This is still an ongoing debate in the crypto space.
The opposing argument to concentrated mining pools is that they still require individuals to point to these pools and are essentially acting as proxy votes. It's decentralized because mining pools only have as much power as individual participants allow them to have and there have been multiple occasions where individuals have forced an action such as the UASF.
PoW seems to be on the outs recently with PoS, DPoS, DAG and other algorithms emerging as potential alternatives.
Blockchain without decentralization isn't that exciting. The problem with banning crypto is that there will be an entrepreneurial group of people willing to accept cryptocurrencies for a high fee and turn it into fiat or a commodity in a neighboring country. As someone developing in the crypto space, I look at this tech as the formation of a global, secure, always-on, always-accessible, standardized, permission-less database. When people talk of "the cloud" I feel that crypto platforms fit that description more aptly then traditional services.
I like Dropbox but as a potential investor I would be a bit nervous about the online storage industry as a whole considering crypto-backed decentralized storage seems only 12-24 months away.
It depends what you consider "the web" to be at this point. If you consider domain names, web server software, and data formats / protocols created for the web to be part of "the web" then I would argue that nearly all of the mobile apps use "the web" in some capacity. If you're referring to only browser-accessible web properties then I would say it's increasing at an incredible pace, just not as incredible a pace as mobile. Mobile is king right now but it's hard to predict the future, perhaps Augmented Reality takes over, or perhaps mobile is the first to enter emerging markets but as the cost and size of computers decrease we may see an eventual surge in desktop machines with web browser access. I look at the web as the "safe zone" or default last-resort method of accessing the Internet. I don't think it will go away anytime soon until we have a superior alternative that provides the convenience, efficiency, and level of open access to information that we see today.
Sadly, I have been a vicitm of idea debt. As a young developer I had a grande vision of starting an online network of websites. I spent a solid month planning them all out, designing the logos and everything. Needless to say, when I showed the work to my boss he was less than impressed that I put off client work to plan our company's world domination.
I always assumed this was due to the language barrier. China has roughly 10 million English speakers while India has hundreds of millions. To me, language appears to be one of the largest causes of cultural divide.
Just one look at blockchain tech should tell governments that they might as well give up on the pointless endeavor of eliminating information via intimidation. Technology is slowly presenting two options, complete transparency or totalitarian control. The days of operating in the middle are going away as the information becomes more difficult to trace back to it's origin.
I miss Perl. It was the first programming language I learned as a kid. I read the entire Perl for dummies book when I was 14 and uploaded my first script to a "cgi-bin" shortly after. Thanks Larry for your contributions!
Great article, I myself have been both on the sending and receiving end of such discourse. I like OSX and love Node.js which can become a source of confrontation. Talk about node.js in the Reddit programming sub and prepare for the backlash :)
Yeah, it does surprise me when technical people still show skepticism towards VR. I could see how a person could assume it's going to take another 5 years of iteration to be worthy of mass adoption but after the recent MWC and GDC conferences it seems clear to me that VR is here to stay and will only improve over time. The enthusiasm alone is driving innovation in this market at an insane pace and the consumer devices haven't even launched yet.
I agree, I love my Gear VR but I think the mobile solution needs to be an all-in-one device. I could see mobile and desktop VR using the same headset. With USB-C they could charge the headset battery while allowing you to power the display via your desktop computer, then when you disconnect it will switch to the on-board mobile hardware capabilities.
Great ideas, I can see public speaking becoming a large attraction. VR-based conferences may gain popularity where you can watch presentations and do a live Q&A at the end. Imagine a programming conference where you get a digital goody-bag of software and/or source code.
It's truly amazing how someone can now put together a brand new computer for less than $100 with a bit of effort. I have the Raspberry Pi 2 and it's quite impressive, especially when running on an ARMv7-compatible Linux build.
