Centralisation, Reversibility, and Restarting
The article discusses the trend of technical centralisation in various industries, particularly in telecommunications and software development. It highlights how innovations like telephone multiplexing and platforms like GitHub have streamlined processes but also led to increased centralisation. The author argues that while technical centralisation can be reversed, the accompanying economic and political centralisation is more challenging to address.
- ▪Technical progress tends toward centralisation, as seen in telephone multiplexing and GitHub.
- ▪While technical centralisation can be reversed, economic and political centralisation is more difficult to change.
- ▪Simplifying interfaces can help mitigate the centralising tendencies of technology.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Centralisation, reversibility, and restarting 22 May 26 Technical progress tends toward centralisation: telephone multiplexing made calls easier and centralised the entire telephone industry; GitHub made coding easier and centralised the world of software development. Technical centralisation is mostly reversible. The economic and political centralisation that rides alongside it is not. The real binding force is neither the technology nor the data but the interfaces imposed to make it all work together. One of the best ways to ensure centralising tendencies can be reversed is to find ways to keep those interfaces simple. This is a restart of a blog.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at mpadge.
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