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Brian Behlendorf is a technologist, computer programmer and leading figure in the open-source software movement. He was a founding member and primary developer of the Apache Web server, the most[…]
The Internet is all shadows and mirrors—but what if it were the central source of truth? Thanks to Blockchain technology, it’s a future that’s possible.
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Imagine a world where facts rule the Internet, and lies and rumors are stripped of their disguises before they can do damage. That’s actually possible, explains tech expert Brian Behlendorf, the executive director of the Hyperledger Project (who was also a primary developer of the Apache HTTP Server, the most widely used web server in the world). Although a completely truthful Internet might be dull, and a little totalitarian, it would be sweet relief for all digital citizens if someone could end fake news. Distributed ledger technology like Blockchain could do that, says Behlendorf, by changing the way organizations collect and store data. If data were decentralized or transparent on an unmodifiable Blockchain, it would be almost impossible to attack the source or integrity of someone’s data on that open ledger. “I view distributed ledger technology as the closest thing we have in the technology field to being able to say something is a fact,” says Behlendorf. A distributed ledger system could also be used to help us check our confirmation biases in response to fake news. Currently, central providers like Facebook and Google can alert you to news sources that may be less than factual, but imagine a decentralized version, like a Yelp for news media, with experts who score platforms on their integrity, as well as crowd-contributed ratings. In the future, what if the Internet helped resolve controversy instead of cranking the rumor mill?


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