Decentralization and peer-to-peer architecture
- Internet originally designed as a peer-to-peer
system
- Presently more oriented towards client-server
(millions of users, interacting with relatively few sites
- peer-to-peer systems go hand-in-hand with decentralized
system
- In a fully decentralized system:
- every host is an equal participant
- there are no hosts with special
facilitating or administrative roles
- Central definition of concepts, thesauri, dictionaries and/or
identification of central repositories or authorities:
- is a long lasting and time consuming process
- sometimes aborts (unable to cope with different
cultures or well established traditions)
- In a freely evolving environment, like the web, the most
reliable sources become authorities
