Parliamentary or Presidential form of government? What’s in the name?

Both forms of government are dedicated to upholding democracy and ensuring the separation of power among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. They also aim to establish checks and balances within the system.

Warning: The blog can become a bit longer, but I will highlight key takeaway points.

Today, we will compare two countries: the USA, which is considered to have a presidential system of government, and India, which is known for its parliamentary form of government. We will discuss countries like the UK with a parliamentary system on another day.

Both of the countries select their head, in India, the head of the country is called the Prime Minister, whereas in the USA, they are called the President

This is how President of USA are selected:

The President of the United States is selected through a multi-step process that includes both primary elections and a general election. Here’s an overview of how the President of the USA is selected:

1. Primaries and Caucuses: Before the general election, political parties (primarily the Democratic and Republican parties) hold a series of primary elections and caucuses in each state. During these events, registered party members vote for their preferred presidential candidate. The outcomes of these primaries and caucuses determine the number of delegates each candidate receives.
2. National Conventions: Each political party holds a national convention, usually in the summer before the general election. Delegates from the primaries and caucuses attend these conventions, where they officially nominate their party’s candidate for President. The candidate typically selects a vice-presidential running mate during or before the convention.
3. General Election: The general election occurs on the first Tuesday in November of every fourth year. Registered voters across the United States cast their ballots for their preferred presidential candidate. However, voters technically vote for a slate of electors chosen by their party, known as the Electoral College.
4. Electoral College: In the Electoral College system, each state has a certain number of electors based on its representation in Congress (Senators and House of Representatives). Most states use a winner-takes-all approach, where the candidate who wins the popular vote in a state receives all of its electoral votes.
5. Electoral Vote Count: In December following the election, the electors in each state gather in their respective state capitals and cast their votes for President and Vice President. The results are then sent to the President of the Senate (the Vice President of the United States).
6. Congressional Certification: Congress meets in early January to count and certify the electoral votes. If a candidate receives a majority of electoral votes (at least 270 out of 538), they are declared the President-elect.
7. Inauguration: The President-elect is officially inaugurated and takes the oath of office on January 20th of the following year, marking the beginning of their four-year term in office.

It’s important to note that the process may vary slightly between states due to differences in election laws and practices. The winner of the popular vote in each state typically receives all of that state’s electoral votes, except in Maine and Nebraska, which allocate their electoral votes based on congressional district results.

President and vice president of USA are not elected directly by citizens. Instead, they are chosen by “electors” through a process called the Electoral College. Each state’s political parties choose their own slate of potential electors. Who is chosen to be an elector, how, and when varies by state.

https://www.usa.gov/electoral-college

The size of the electoral college in the United States is 538 electors. Each state has a number of electors equal to the total of its Senators (always two) plus the number of its Representatives in the House of Representatives (which can vary based on a state’s population).

How Prime Minster of India is selected?

The Prime Minister of India is selected through a process that involves several key steps, primarily within the parliamentary system of India. Here’s how the Prime Minister of India is typically selected:

General Elections:

• The process begins with the general elections held in India, which determine the composition of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India’s Parliament. Lok Sabha members are directly elected by eligible voters from their respective constituencies.

Formation of a Political Party or Coalition:

• Before the general elections, political parties or alliances are formed, and each party or alliance fields candidates to contest the elections. These candidates compete for the 545 elected seats in the Lok Sabha.

Winning Majority or Coalition Support:

• After the general elections, the political party or alliance that wins an absolute majority of seats in the Lok Sabha (i.e., more than half of the total seats) is typically invited by the President of India to form the government.
• If no single party secures an absolute majority, a coalition government may be formed with the support of other parties or independent members to achieve a majority.

Selection of the Prime Minister:

• The leader of the political party or alliance that has secured the majority of seats in the Lok Sabha is usually invited by the President to become the Prime Minister.
• The Prime Minister is typically the leader of the majority party or coalition, and this leader is expected to command the confidence of the Lok Sabha members.

Oath of Office:

• Once invited, the selected leader becomes the Prime Minister and is sworn in at an official ceremony. The oath of office and secrecy is administered by the President of India.

Functioning as Prime Minister:

• As Prime Minister, the individual assumes the role of the head of government and is responsible for forming the Council of Ministers, which includes various ministries and cabinet positions.
• The Prime Minister plays a central role in the formulation and implementation of government policies, decision-making, and representing India domestically and internationally.

It’s important to note that the selection of the Prime Minister is based on the political party or coalition that commands a majority in the Lok Sabha. The President of India has a largely ceremonial role in this process and is constitutionally bound to invite the leader of the majority party or alliance to form the government. The Prime Minister’s tenure is not fixed but depends on the support and confidence of the majority in the Lok Sabha.

In summary, the Prime Minister of India is selected based on the outcome of general elections, party politics, and parliamentary support, making the position highly dependent on the democratic process and the will of the electorate.

So, basically, the Prime Minister is selected by the party or coalition that wins an absolute majority (i.e., more than half of the total seats of Lok Sabha).

The appointment of the President in the USA and the appointment of the Prime Minister in India are basically similar. Both processes depend on an absolute majority. In the USA, it relies on 538 electors, whereas in India, it depends on 543 Lok Sabha members. While voting takes place in the USA, in India, it is done through discussions among winning party members.

Legislative bodies of USA:

In the United States, “Congress” refers to the legislative branch of the federal government, which is responsible for making and passing federal laws. Congress is a bicameral legislature, meaning it has two separate chambers:

1. The House of Representatives: The House of Representatives, often referred to simply as “the House,” is one of the two chambers of Congress. It is the lower house of Congress and is made up of members known as “Representatives” or “Congresspeople.” The number of Representatives in the House is determined by the population of each state, with each state having at least one Representative. Representatives are elected by the residents of their respective congressional districts for two-year terms. The primary responsibilities of the House include initiating revenue-related bills and representing the interests of the people in their districts.
2. The Senate: The Senate is the upper house of Congress. Each state, regardless of its population, is represented by two Senators. Senators are elected by the residents of their respective states for six-year terms, with staggered elections ensuring that approximately one-third of the Senate seats are up for election every two years. The Senate has several unique powers, including providing “advice and consent” for presidential appointments (such as federal judges and cabinet members) and ratifying international treaties.

Key Functions of Congress:

• Lawmaking: Congress is responsible for drafting, debating, amending, and passing federal laws. Proposed legislation, known as bills, can originate in either the House or the Senate. For a bill to become law, it must pass both chambers in identical form and be signed by the President.
• Representation: Members of Congress represent the interests and concerns of their constituents, whether they are residents of specific congressional districts (House members) or entire states (Senators).
• Oversight: Congress has the authority to oversee and investigate the activities of the executive branch of government, ensuring that federal agencies and officials are acting in accordance with the law.
• Impeachment: The House of Representatives has the power to impeach federal officials, including the President, while the Senate holds impeachment trials and can remove officials from office upon conviction.
• Budget and Appropriations: Congress is responsible for approving the federal budget, including allocating funds for various government programs and agencies.
• Ratifying Treaties and Confirming Appointments: The Senate plays a critical role in ratifying international treaties negotiated by the President and confirming presidential appointments to key positions in the federal government.

Overall, Congress serves as a vital component of the system of checks and balances in the U.S. government, ensuring that no single branch of government accumulates excessive power. It plays a central role in shaping the nation’s laws and policies.

Similarly, in India we have Lok Sabha the lower house, and Rajya Sabha the upper house.

Now, let’s delve into the executive bodies and how they differ between the two countries:

The executive branch of the United States is called the “Executive Branch of the U.S. Government” or simply the “U.S. Executive Branch.” The head of the executive branch is the President of the United States. Members of the executive branch are selected through various methods, and the key positions within the branch are appointed by the President with the approval, in some cases, of the U.S. Senate. Here’s an overview:

President of the United States:

• Selection: The President is elected through a nationwide election known as the “Presidential Election.”
• Term: The President serves a four-year term and can be reelected for one additional term.
• Eligibility: To run for President, a candidate must be a natural-born U.S. citizen, at least 35 years old, and have been a resident of the United States for at least 14 years.

Vice President:

• Selection: The Vice President is also elected through the Presidential Election, but they run as the President’s running mate.
• Role: The Vice President’s primary role is to succeed the President in case of the President’s death, resignation, or inability to carry out their duties. The Vice President also serves as the President of the Senate and has ceremonial and advisory duties.

Cabinet Members:

• Selection: Cabinet members are appointed by the President and are subject to Senate confirmation (approval).
• Roles: The Cabinet includes heads of executive departments such as the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury, and others. Each Cabinet member is responsible for overseeing a specific area of government policy and administration.

Federal Agencies and Bureaucracy:

• Selection: The heads of various federal agencies and departments are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Role: These officials manage the day-to-day operations of the federal government and implement the policies set by the President.

Federal Judges and Justices:

• Selection: Federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices, are nominated by the President and must be confirmed by the Senate.
• Role: Federal judges preside over federal courts and interpret and apply federal laws, including the U.S. Constitution.

Independent Agencies and Commissions:

• Selection: Some agencies and commissions are led by individuals who are appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.
• Role: These entities have specific areas of focus, such as the Federal Reserve, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Overall, the U.S. Executive Branch is responsible for implementing and enforcing federal laws, managing the government, conducting foreign affairs, and overseeing various aspects of national policy. The President, as the head of this branch, plays a central role in shaping the direction of the executive branch’s activities and policies.

The Executive Branch

https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/our-government/the-executive-branch/

But how executive bodies in India works and how cabinet ministries of India is selected?

In India, ministries are selected through a process that involves the appointment of ministers by the President of India on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Here’s an overview of how ministries are selected in India:

General Election:

• Ministries in India are formed after a general election to the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India’s Parliament) or following the formation of a coalition government if no single party has an absolute majority.

Selection of the Prime Minister:

• After the election results are known, the leader of the political party or coalition that secures a majority of seats in the Lok Sabha is invited by the President to become the Prime Minister.
• The Prime Minister is usually the leader of the political party with the largest number of seats in the Lok Sabha.

Appointment of Cabinet Ministers:

• The Prime Minister, once appointed, selects individuals to serve as ministers in the Council of Ministers, which includes various ministries.
• The selection of ministers is made by the Prime Minister based on various factors, including party loyalty, competence, seniority, and regional representation.
• The Prime Minister may consult with senior party leaders and take into account the political dynamics and alliances within the ruling coalition.

Allocation of Portfolios:

• After selecting the ministers, the Prime Minister allocates specific portfolios or ministries to each minister. These portfolios determine the area of government policy and administration that each minister is responsible for.
• The allocation of portfolios is typically based on the qualifications, expertise, and interests of the ministers, as well as the priorities of the government.

Swearing-In Ceremony:

• The selected ministers are formally sworn in at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan (the official residence of the President of India) in the presence of the President and other dignitaries.
• The oath of office and secrecy is administered to each minister, and they officially assume their roles.

Functioning of Ministries:

• Once in office, each minister is responsible for overseeing and managing their respective ministry’s activities, policies, and programs.
• Ministries play a crucial role in formulating and implementing government policies, as well as delivering public services in their respective areas of responsibility.

It’s important to note that the Council of Ministers includes various types of ministers, such as Cabinet Ministers (senior ministers), Ministers of State (with or without independent charge), and Deputy Ministers. The specific responsibilities and hierarchy within the Council of Ministers can vary.

Additionally, the composition of ministries may change over time due to reshuffles, resignations, or other political developments, with the Prime Minister having the authority to make changes as needed to effectively govern the country.

Here is the big difference in the selection of cabinet ministers in the USA compared to India. In India, cabinet ministers are selected by the Prime Minister, whereas in the USA, although they are selected by the President, it requires Senate approval (in the upper house) through a voting process. A majority vote of the Senate committee is required.

The confirmation of Cabinet members in the executive branch of the United States is done through a process involving the Senate. Here’s how it works:

Nomination by the President:

• The President of the United States nominates individuals to serve in various Cabinet positions, such as the Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Treasury, and others. These nominees are typically selected based on their qualifications and alignment with the President’s policy goals.

Senate Committee Hearings:

• After the President makes nominations, the Senate holds confirmation hearings for each nominee. These hearings are conducted by Senate committees responsible for the respective Cabinet positions. For example, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee conducts hearings for the Secretary of State nominee.
• During these hearings, nominees are questioned by senators about their qualifications, views, and potential conflicts of interest. Senators may also seek assurances about how nominees plan to fulfill their duties.

Senate Committee Vote:

• Following the confirmation hearings, the Senate committees vote on whether to recommend the nominee’s confirmation to the full Senate. A majority vote in favor is required for the nominee to move forward in the process.

Full Senate Confirmation:

• The nominee’s confirmation is then considered by the full U.S. Senate. Senators debate the nomination on the Senate floor, and a final confirmation vote is held.
• A simple majority vote in the Senate is required for the nominee to be confirmed. If a majority of senators vote in favor of confirmation, the nominee is officially confirmed to the Cabinet position.

Oath of Office:

• Once confirmed by the Senate, the nominee takes the oath of office and officially assumes their role as a member of the President’s Cabinet.

The confirmation process serves as a critical check and balance in the U.S. government. It allows the Senate, which represents the states and their interests, to exercise oversight over the President’s executive branch appointments. It also ensures that Cabinet members are qualified and capable of fulfilling their roles effectively.

Confirmation hearings can be high-profile events, particularly when nominees face questions and scrutiny from senators and the public. While the process is designed to be thorough, it is ultimately a political one, with the President’s party typically having a significant influence over the outcome of confirmations.

In the United States, the executive branch is typically considered more independent than in India, primarily because it requires a broader consensus from the upper house. In contrast, in India, the Prime Minister has the authority to appoint ministers at their discretion, which can lead to a potential conflict of interest. For example, ministers may serve as mere marketing agents for the Prime Minister, aiming to enhance the Prime Minister’s image. It’s worth noting that, even though laws are meant to be the same for everyone, there can be discrimination in their execution by ministers based on their interests. One example of this can be selective enforcement of corruption laws, with a bias towards opposition parties, while members of their own party may go unpunished for similar violations.

To Do!

The USA has a two-party system. Is it because the USA has a presidential form of government?

How bill is passed in two countries?

No confidence motion versus impeachment.

Two-third majority vs Simple Majority

Power and independence of states and state assembly

How independent is judiciary in both the countries, and how judges are appointed?

Open-list proportional representation vs. Mixed-member proportional representation

This blog is a continuation of the discussion about proportional representation. You can find the main blog here in the link.

Do we need a supreme leader? How can we share power between parties?

Open list PR is about voter choice in selecting individual candidates:

Open list proportional representation is an electoral system used in many countries to elect members to a legislative body. It combines the principles of proportional representation with a degree of voter choice in selecting individual candidates. In an open list PR system, voters typically cast a vote for a political party and can also express a preference for specific candidates within that party’s list. Here’s how it works:

1. Voting Process:

• Party Vote: Voters cast their first vote for a political party of their choice. This is known as the “party vote” or “list vote.” It determines the overall proportion of seats each political party will receive in the legislature.
• Candidate Preference: In addition to the party vote, voters have the option to express a preference for one or more individual candidates from the party they selected. This preference can be indicated by ranking the candidates or marking them with an “X” or a similar symbol.

1. Seat Allocation:

• Based on the total number of party votes each political party receives, seats in the legislature are allocated to parties in proportion to their share of the vote, using a mathematical formula such as the Sainte-Laguë method or the D’Hondt method.
• Each party’s list of candidates is ordered based on a predetermined ranking established by the party or determined through internal party primaries.
• Seats are initially awarded to the candidates at the top of each party’s list, in proportion to the party’s share of the vote.

1. Candidate Selection:

• Candidates who receive a high number of individual preferences from voters are more likely to move up the party’s list and secure seats in the legislature.
• In some open list systems, candidates are elected in the order of the preference votes they receive. The candidates with the most individual preferences are elected first, followed by those with fewer preferences until all the party’s allocated seats are filled.

1. Proportionality: Open list PR aims to maintain proportionality between the party’s overall vote share and the distribution of seats among its candidates. This means that if a party receives, for example, 30% of the vote, approximately 30% of the seats it wins should go to the candidates who received the most preference votes.
2. Flexibility and Voter Choice:

• Open list PR systems offer voters more flexibility and choice compared to closed list PR systems. Voters can influence the order in which candidates from the same party are elected.
• Voters may choose candidates based on personal attributes, local connections, or specific policy positions.

Open list proportional representation systems provide a balance between party representation and individual candidate representation. They aim to combine the benefits of proportional representation, which ensures that parties are represented in proportion to their popular vote, with the ability for voters to have a say in the selection of individual representatives within parties. This system is used in countries such as Sweden, Finland, and Norway.

Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) is a system that retains the constituency element:

Mixed Member Proportional (MMP) representation is an electoral system used in some countries to elect their legislatures, such as Germany, New Zealand, and parts of Scotland. MMP combines elements of both proportional representation and first-past-the-post systems to achieve a more balanced and representative outcome.

Here’s how it works:

1. **Two Types of Representatives:** In MMP, voters cast two votes: one for a candidate in their local constituency (similar to first-past-the-post) and one for a political party.

2. **Constituency Seats:** The local constituency vote determines a portion of the seats in the legislature. Candidates who win the most votes in their respective constituencies become Members of Parliament (MPs).

3. **Proportional Representation:** The party vote determines the overall proportional makeup of the legislature. Parties receive seats in proportion to the percentage of the party vote they receive nationwide. This helps ensure that the overall composition of the legislature reflects the popular vote.

4. **Compensation Seats:** To balance the results, additional seats are allocated to parties based on their share of the party vote. These are known as “compensation seats” and are filled from party lists. The goal is to make the total number of seats each party holds closely match its proportion of the vote.

5. **Overall Composition:** The final composition of the legislature is a combination of local constituency winners and proportional seats from party lists. This ensures that both individual representation and overall proportionality are considered.

MMP aims to strike a balance between geographic representation (via local MPs) and proportional representation (to reflect the popular vote more accurately). It encourages multi-party systems, as smaller parties have a better chance of winning proportional seats, leading to a more diverse and representative legislature.

However, it can be complex for voters to understand and may lead to coalition governments since it often results in a multi-party system where no single party has an outright majority. This requires parties to work together to form governing coalitions, which can sometimes be challenging.

Example Scenario: New Zealand’s MMP System

In New Zealand, the MMP system has been in use since 1996. Let’s say there’s an election with the following details:

1. Total Seats in Parliament: 120 seats
2. Constituency Seats: There are 70 local constituencies across the country, each electing one MP through a first-past-the-post system. These are known as “electorate seats.”
3. Party List Seats: The remaining 50 seats are filled based on the party vote, which is a vote for political parties rather than individual candidates. Parties create ranked lists of candidates, and these seats are allocated to parties based on the proportion of the party vote they receive.
4. Party A: Let’s say Party A receives 40% of the party vote. In this case, they would be entitled to approximately 40% of the 50 party list seats, which is 20 seats. Party A’s total representation in Parliament would then be the 20 party list seats plus any constituency seats they won.
5. Party B: Party B, with 30% of the party vote, gets around 15 party list seats.
6. Party C: Party C receives 20% of the party vote, which corresponds to 10 party list seats.
7. Party D: Party D secures 10% of the party vote, resulting in about 5 party list seats.
8. Constituency Winners: In the local constituencies, the party that wins the most votes in each of the 70 constituencies gets one seat per constituency, regardless of their party vote share.

Now, let’s see how this plays out:

• Party A wins 30 constituency seats, and Party B wins 25. So, Party A and Party B each have their constituency seats plus the proportional seats they earned.
• Party A ends up with a total of 50 seats (30 constituency seats + 20 party list seats).
• Party B ends up with a total of 40 seats (25 constituency seats + 15 party list seats).
• Party C, with 10 party list seats and no constituency seats, has a total of 10 seats.
• Party D, with 5 party list seats and no constituency seats, has a total of 5 seats.

This proportional representation system ensures that the overall composition of Parliament roughly reflects the percentage of the party vote each party received. It encourages a multi-party system and provides a more balanced representation of the electorate’s preferences compared to a purely first-past-the-post system.

Please note that the numbers in this example are simplified for illustration purposes and may not precisely match New Zealand’s actual election results.

While some countries use FPTP in mixed member proportional systems to select a single winner in a constituency, one can employ Approval voting as a more optimal voting method to mitigate vote splitting and tactical voting. One can also use proportional representation (number of votes = amount of power) to select multiple winners in a constituency, to make more decentralized decision making.

Closed-List Proportional Representation

In a closed-list proportional representation system, voters cast their votes for a political party, and seats are allocated to parties based on the proportion of the overall vote they receive. The order of candidates on the party’s list determines who gets elected. Voters typically do not have the option to choose individual candidates; rather, they are essentially endorsing the party’s list.

Now, let’s address the concerns you mentioned about the closed-list method:

Lack of Individual Candidate Choice:

In a closed-list system, voters may not have the ability to express preferences for specific candidates. Some argue that this reduces the direct influence of voters on the selection of representatives.

Increase in Partisanship:

Closed-list systems may be criticized for promoting party loyalty over individual candidate qualities. This could potentially lead to a more partisan political landscape, as representatives are primarily accountable to the party leadership rather than the voters.

Rise of Far-Right Parties:

As partisanship escalates, far-right parties can ascend to prominence by strategically employing propaganda, disseminating disinformation, and skillfully appealing to sentiments.

What do we need to decentralize in the coming years?

Research on new blockchain decentralized algorithms, scalability, composability, and ability of build complicated systems on blockchains has brought us new possibilities.

Blockspace & Blockspace Ecosystems: How Polkadot is Unlocking the Full Potential of Web3

https://www.polkadot.network/blog/blockspace-blockspace-ecosystems-how-polkadot-is-unlocking-the-full-potential-of-web3/

De-googling our internet.

I have already switched from the Google search engine to Brave Search, thanks to its fully independent search indexing of Brave. There are no more misleading ads in search results or low-quality marketing information optimized by Google SEO.

With Brave Goggles, search results remain in the hands of users rather than being controlled by the algorithms of the host search engine, like Google.

GOGGLES: Democracy dies in darkness, and so does the Web
https://brave.com/static-assets/files/goggles.pdf

There are goggles to remove Pinterest posts, remove pages found on the top 1,000 most-viewed websites, rerank results to remove “copycat” content, news indexing from authentic sources, and deranking sites spreading disinformation.

Developers need not stop here; we need to decentralize the computing servers and place them in public hands. Google has about million servers, what if we put these servers in public hands with offchain blockchain computing.

Here are the brave goggle and it links that I created:

https://github.com/reaudito-org/collection_goggle

Digital colonialism is threatening the Global South

https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2019/3/13/digital-colonialism-is-threatening-the-global-south

Phala Network is leading in building computation space for Computation as it’s meant to Be.

Phala Network is designed with multiple layers of security guarantees to provide fully verifiable computation. The network is backed by numerous decentralized workers and a significant amount of staked tokens. Phat Contracts are protected by both hardware Secure Enclaves and cryptographic evidence published and verified on the Phala blockchain, seamlessly extending blockchain-level security to the off-chain realm.

There other alternative like Integritee.

Off-chaining Models and Approaches to Off-chain Computations

Click to access Off-chaining%20Models%20and%20Approaches%20to%20Off-chain%20Computations.pdf

Adventures of an Enclave (SGX / TEEs)

https://hackernoon.com/adventures-of-an-enclave-sgx-tees-9e7f8a975b0b

Blockchains can also try RISC-V CPUs and GPUs with Keystone to move towards a fully open-source system. Keystone is an open-source TEE framework for RISC-V processors.

Energy consumption by servers of capitalism

AI’s Electricity Use Is Spiking So Fast It’ll Soon Use as Much Power as an Entire Country

https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-electricity-use-spiking-power-entire-country

Capitalism makes use of user data to perform unnecessary computations that are typically not required. For example, Facebook, Google, and many other companies employ centralized data servers that utilize machine learning for predicting personalized ads and feeds based on terabytes of user data. This poses not only a threat to your privacy but also a misuse of data for capitalist profit. Even a simple algorithm like fedifeed (explained below) can solve the problem of personalization without compromising your privacy.

While cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, which use proof of work, consume excessive amounts of energy, proof of stake algorithms, as seen in systems like Polkadot, are more efficient. One can run Polkadot on a Raspberry Pi.

As for storage, the decentralized IPFS protocol is efficient because it localizes storage. If your neighbor has already downloaded a file, you can obtain it from them instead of fetching it from the other side of the internet (which also saves on power usage, considering routers). Content addressing allows you to avoid downloading a lot of duplicate data, which can be particularly beneficial in data centers and clusters that need to distribute mostly identical Docker/machine images.

Blockchain data centers can utilize renewable energy, and we can design systems to be more localized, make most apps work offline (e.g., with the ability to download music or movies, so that you don’t have to redownload them from the internet all the time and save energy), performing machine learning on local computers or local servers using open-source models only for what’s necessary. The capitalist system disallows offline download and local sharing, as they can’t make profits without copyright. Further sustainable housing designs that rely on renewable energy for computing are also viable. Additionally, we can penalize unsustainable blockchains using decentralized price discovery.

Interoperability: Dismantle the tech platforms.

We can – we must – dismantle the tech platforms. In The Internet Con, Cory Doctorow explains how to seize the means of computation, by forcing Silicon Valley to do the thing it fears most: interoperate. Interoperability will tear down the walls between technologies, allowing users leave platforms, remix their media, and reconfigure their devices without corporate permission.

https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/3035-the-internet-con

Interoperability extends beyond just software compatibility; it also encompasses hardware compatibility. For instance, smartphones, regardless of whether they run on the Android or Apple operating systems, often hinder interoperability and pose challenges for supporting alternative operating systems like privacy-focused GrapheneOS or other Linux distributions. This situation poses a significant threat to user privacy, as it leaves devices vulnerable to state-sponsored or large tech companies’ surveillance efforts.

Additionally, smartphones typically come with preinstalled bloatware that can be difficult to remove. These preinstalled applications are not only intrusive and annoying but also pose security threats and grant undue advantages to a select few companies. In 2021, Google made $146 billion in search advertising and gave a $26 billion cut to phone manufacturers and carriers in exchange for default status. That’s nearly 18 percent. It is crucial that we exert pressure on manufacturers to promote interoperability.

Phone manufacturers should consider supporting the Android Open Source Project (AOSP), which would entail adhering to standardized hardware specifications. This standardization would enable users to switch to any operating system of their choice with greater ease. Furthermore, if manufacturers opt for custom hardware, they should make their device drivers open source and contribute to the AOSP.

Google makes Android easy for privacy and security attacks by design. Enforcing hardware interoperability can assist developers in addressing these issues.

Notifications are on by default when you install the app. Instead, notifications need to be off by default. It’s very annoying and requires extra work, making it hard to disable for common users.

There’s no way to change an app’s internet access permissions. For instance, if you want to restrict internet access within the app, you can’t do so. This makes tracking easier and allows advertisements to be shown all the time in the app. To stop internet access for the app, you have to disable mobile internet or Wi-Fi. Allowing users to control internet access would encourage offline and offline-first apps.

File access needs to be limited to only a particular folder that the user can set. Apps shouldn’t have the ability to search and access all the files on the phone.

More personalization of permissions is needed, such as allowing users to set a time to automatically remove all app permissions after a given period. This could include disabling permissions after 5 minutes, after closing the app, after a day, or after a week.

These security measures can also be implemented in Linux package managers like AppImage.

De-Facebook the Internet

Capitalistic social media has become a threat to our democracy.

Misinformation on Facebook got six times more clicks than factual news during the 2020 election, study says

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/09/03/facebook-misinformation-nyu-study/

It is worrying that the societies which are most vulnerable to the impact of fake news are at the same time the least concerned about the spreading and the impact of disinformation.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2023-01-27/finland-most-resistant-to-fake-news-report-finds

Also far right billionaire can take over these social media sites, and use it for their interest.

Under Elon Musk, Twitter has approved 83% of censorship requests by authoritarian governments.
The social network has restricted and withdrawn content critical of the ruling parties in Turkey and India, among other countries, including during electoral campaigns

https://english.elpais.com/international/2023-05-24/under-elon-musk-twitter-has-approved-83-of-censorship-requests-by-authoritarian-governments.html

Twitter has always been a hotspot for climate change misinformation. On Musk’s watch, it’s heating up.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2023/01/10/twitter-climate-change-misinformation-surge-elon-musk/11002993002/

Twitter slammed by LGBTQ rights groups after quietly removing line in hate speech policy that protected transgender users

https://www.thestar.com/business/twitter-slammed-by-lgbtq-rights-groups-after-quietly-removing-line-in-hate-speech-policy-that/article_dfd588ca-45a5-5055-868c-6b51b95e86f7.html

We can build a decentralized social media platform using decentralized moderation and governance to combat fake news. Various decentralized algorithms, such as sequential Phragmén, Schelling point games, or a simple system like re-ranking users, similar to the Brave Goggle protocol, can be effective in addressing disinformation. We can go further to incentivize or pay the unbiased journalism.

Some of the features social media needs to have: 

1) FOSS (Free and open-source software):   Anyone is freely licensed to use, copy, study, and change the software in any way, and the source code is openly shared so that people are encouraged to voluntarily improve the design (e.g security or bugs, UX, new features) of the software. 

2) Open Protocol: The protocol needs to be open and decentralized so that you don’t have to be tied to a single app. For example, Mastodon uses ActivityPub; different Mastodon instances can communicate with each other, and you can create instances that suit your needs.

3) Composable and Modular Design: Adding new features should not only be easier for developers but also for users with no coding experience. Users without coding skills can customize the app by adding or removing features themselves simply by including addons. For instance, if someone wants a personalized feed, they can include the feature; if someone doesn’t like it, they can remove it. Likewise, if someone wants to try both options, that can also be accomplished by them. WebAssembly (Wasm) can prove beneficial for constructing a modular design.

4) Monetary Incentive System: Applications should establish their governance and cryptocurrency funding for continued development without depending on insufficient donations of users or money given to cater to the interests of advertisers, large corporations, or corrupt governments. Additionally, there can be an incentive system at the user level to encourage the invitation of more users, along with the fair distribution of tokens based on their contributions to the app. For instance, applications can reward skilled and ethical journalists for their contributions to public interest local or international news. Designing a monetary system can be a tricky task that requires careful consideration to avoid any unintended adverse effects.

As money is controlled by the commons through a blockchain built by the FOSS community, it can provide an enormous benefit for open-source software, hardware, and open-access work. Funding open source becomes more accessible, and developers no longer have to rely solely on altruistic donations or corporate philanthropy; they can directly compete more effectively with big tech and potentially replace them.

Can we build a precarious system just like big tech social media using blockchain/cryptocurrency?

Blockchain is open source, and no one controls it. Anyone can fork and change it. A single owner can’t benefit from it. Users can free to move to other updated versions, splitting the users. Even if someone builds a bad system, scams can only last for a year or two, after which prices are dumped, unlike big tech closed-source, monopolized scam apps that still last for 20 year. For example, imagine an open source facebook app with ads. As source code is available, a developer will fork it and release it without Ads, now users will start moving to new app, ending profit of Facebook.

Why to transition to Mastodon?

Mastodon is a federated social media platform that is designed as an alternative to centralized social media networks like Twitter. The primary goal of Mastodon is to provide users with a decentralized and more privacy-focused social networking experience.

Here’s how Mastodon works:

1. Instance: Instead of a single, centralized server or website like Twitter, Mastodon consists of many independent servers called “instances.” Each instance is operated by its own administrators and has its own set of rules and community guidelines. Users on an instance can communicate with users on other instances, making it a federated network.

As there are multiple instances spread throughout the world, it’s exceedingly challenging for fascist governments in different regions to censor content. Most instances operate through consensus, so if an instance misbehaves by promoting hate speech or disinformation, it’s likely to be added to the blocked list by other instances.

2. User Accounts: Users create accounts on specific Mastodon instances. These accounts have handles (similar to Twitter usernames) and profiles where they can provide information about themselves, upload avatars, and post content.
3. Toots: Instead of tweets, Mastodon uses “toots” as the term for posts. Users can write and share toots with text, images, links, and videos. These toots can be public, meaning they are visible to anyone on the federated network, or they can be restricted to specific groups of users (followers, followers of followers, etc.), depending on the user’s preferences.
4. Following: Users can follow other users from their own instance or from other instances. This creates a connection between the users, allowing them to see each other’s toots in their timelines. The federated nature of Mastodon means you can follow and interact with users on different instances as if they were all part of the same network.
5. Timeline: Mastodon users have a timeline that displays toots from users they follow. This timeline can be customized to show different types of content, such as the local timeline (toots from users on the same instance) or the federated timeline (toots from across the entire Mastodon network). Users can also create custom timelines to filter content based on hashtags and keywords.
6. Privacy Controls: Mastodon places a strong emphasis on user privacy and control. Users can choose who can follow them, who can see their toots, and who can interact with their content. This allows for a more tailored and secure social media experience.
7. Moderation: Instance administrators have the authority to set and enforce rules within their own instances. They can moderate content, suspend or ban users, and establish community guidelines to ensure a safe and respectful environment.
8. Open Source: Mastodon is open-source software, which means the code is available for anyone to view, modify, and run their own Mastodon instance. This open nature encourages innovation and diversity within the Mastodon ecosystem.
9. Interoperability: Mastodon is part of the ActivityPub protocol, which enables interoperability with other federated social media platforms. This means that Mastodon users can interact with users on other platforms like Pleroma, PeerTube, and Pixelfed.

Interoperability makes it a different kind of beast, which means it’s adaptable and future-proof. You can adapt it to use different decentralized protocols with many new features (e.g., using blockchain consensus to incentivize journalism) without destroying the existing network.

In summary, Mastodon works by decentralizing social media, allowing users to create accounts on independent instances, follow others, post content, and customize their experience while maintaining control over their privacy and interactions. The federated nature of Mastodon promotes diversity, moderation, and user choice, making it an appealing alternative to centralized social media networks.

How to move to Mastodon?

• Choose your instance from https://joinmastodon.org/ and register your account.

No need to overthink what instance to choose; you can change the instance anytime if you don’t like it. Sometimes, some instances don’t allow new registrations because their capacity is full. Register on an instance that allows registration.

• To use on mobile, you can use Android apps or just the website. I prefer the website because it provides a better user experience with quicker updates, and there are more websites available with different features.

Use the ‘Install’ shortcut so that the website functions like an Android app, and you won’t have to remember the URL.

For personalized feeds, you can use ‘foryoufeed.’ With ‘foryoufeed,’ you have control over personalization, not big tech companies that dictate what you see.

https://github.com/pkreissel/foryoufeed

It’s not just with Mastodon that you can get PubActivity; you can also access a decentralized Reddit-like experience with Lemmy

https://github.com/LemmyNet/lemmy

https://join-lemmy.org/

#OpenSource

To do:

Decentralizing supermarket, housing, health care/hospital.