Chris Dixon
Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet
ISBN: 978-0-593-73138-3
As we approach thirty years of popular use of the Internet, we’re at a good point to look back at the history of the modern Internet. I started using it in 1995 on the one computer in the junior high library connected to a dial-up modem, available only to a select group of students for 30 minutes at a time. There wasn’t much on there at the time – lots of text-only pages coded solely in HTML. Occasionally, pages would have a low-resolution JPEG or two, or animated GIFs of men digging and barricades with blinking lights if the page was still under construction. Web sites had to be small and simple out of necessity.
I had the chance to sit in on a talk by Chris Dixon, author of Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet during SXSW last March. I’ve reviewed other books covering the history of home computing and the Internet in the past on this blog. This book starts with some history to get everyone to the same point of understanding, but then covers the current state of the Internet – Web3. Web1 and Web 2 refer to the first two stages of the evolution of the technology. If you’re of a certain age like me, you’ll remember Web1 as mostly consisting of static Web pages full of hyperlinks to other static Web pages. I created some simple Web pages at the time, learning to code through trial and error, while most people would just “read” content already published to the Internet. Web1 became Web2 through the rise of social media, where anyone could both “read” and “write” on the Internet. Facebook came out of this era as the biggest winner, but there were plenty of also-ran social networks and other middling winners as social media transitioned from the home computer to mobile phones. Web3 is the third stage of the Internet’s revolution, one where you can “own” locations online, outside of the control of large tech companies.
While I felt like I understood the concepts surrounding blockchain technology before I read this book, this book was the best explanation of the practical uses of the technology that I’ve come across so far. Prior to reading this book, I had a basic grasp of the terminology, like tokens and federated servers. However, the author did a great job defining these terms, so that anyone who picks up this book could start at the same place with a basic knowledge set. He also discussed some practical applications of the technology beyond all of the hype one hears about regarding cryptocurrency, like Bitcoin and Etherium. He dived into the Metaverse, the technology surrounding NFTs, and how blockchain is used as a type of financial infrastructure. The intersections between blockchain and artificial intelligence were discussed, along with the issues surrounding deepfakes.
One section of the book talked about the usage of blockchain as either a “casino” or a “computer.” Most of the hype surround the technology and many of the use cases so far have taken the “casino” mentality, where the focus is on wealth-creation through Ponzi schemes. The rise and downfall of FTX is one of the biggest examples of the “casino” mentality, and treating blockchain as a get-rich-quick scheme takes away from other uses of the technology. The “computer” mentality has a long-term view, where blockchains power a new method of distributed computing, where the individual owns the information. The author talks about the need for soft-touch regulation, to eliminate the “casino” mentality while allowing blockchain technology to flourish.
I’ve joked in the past about blockchain being a solution looking for a problem. Any good startup solves a problem for a specific audience – the technology rarely matters beyond a small subset of enthusiasts. Many startup pitches I’ve listened to over the years that want to include blockchain technology as their solution tend to downplay the problem and audience components of the pitch and strongly highlight the technology being used. I’m still not totally convinced that there is a major problem being solved here, but it seemed like the author is inching the blockchain community closer to understanding that, while the technology is revolutionary, most people don’t care about it unless it solves a pressing problem in their lives.
Overall, 9/10, would highly recommend to anyone who is interested in blockchain technology or, like myself, has friends and colleagues working on or promoting the technology and want to dig deeper into the nuts and bolts of the issue. I feel as though complete novices in this area could pick up this book and truly understand, at bare minimum, the basics of blockchain and how it possibly could benefit the Internet and humanity in the future. This book cut through the hype of cryptocurrency and explored well below the surface.