IPFS Helps Decentralize Information by Being Content Specific

One of the biggest vectors of centralization of the internet is the domain system.

Not specifics about how it works necessarily, but the fact that it’s core to how all content is delivered.

The very first thing you do in an HTTP request is specify the location where the file is hosted.

“Give me the file at https://google.com/dog.png”

Then your computer connects to a server at Google and you download the image and that’s it.

It creates a direct dependence between that content and the location where it can be found.

The way IPFS works instead is every file gets run through a math formula and you get a hash that refers to that EXACT file with EXACT contents.

Instead of a domain you ask the network for something like QmdQ1rHHHTbgbGorfuMMYDQQ36q4sxvYcB4GDEHREuJQkL

Since you can verify the contents with a math formula now you are free to download the same content from ANY node in the network. Not just the Google one.

It makes every file a BitTorrent basically. Get the same pic from your neighbor and you can check if it’s right yourself.

Download it from HUNDREDS of nodes at the same time. Starting from the ones that are physically closest to you.

Way faster. Way less centralized.