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Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet
A potent exploration of the power of blockchains to reshape the future of the internet—and how that affects us all—from influential technology entrepreneur and startup investor Chris Dixon
The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of innovation, connection, and freedom. In the past decade, it has fallen almost entirely under the control of a very small group of companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open network for fostering creativity and entrepreneurship doesn’t have to die and can, in fact, be saved with blockchain networks. He separates this movement, which aims to provide a solid foundation for everything from social networks to artificial intelligence to virtual worlds, from cryptocurrency speculation —a distinction he calls “the computer vs. the casino.”
With lucid and compelling prose— drawing from a 25-year career in the software industry—Dixon shows how the internet has undergone three distinct eras, bringing us to the critical moment we’re in today. The first was the “read” era, in which early networks democratized information. In the “read-write” era, corporate networks democratized publishing. We are now in the midst of the “read-write-own” era, sometimes called web3, in which blockchain networks are granting power and economic benefits to communities of users, not just corporations.
Read Write Own is a must-read for anyone—internet users, business leaders, creators, entrepreneurs—who wants to understand where we’ve been and where we’re going. It provides a vision for a better internet and a playbook to navigate and build the future.
The internet of today is a far cry from its early promise of a decentralized, democratic network of innovation, connection, and freedom. In the past decade, it has fallen almost entirely under the control of a very small group of companies like Apple, Google, and Facebook. In Read Write Own, tech visionary Chris Dixon argues that the dream of an open network for fostering creativity and entrepreneurship doesn’t have to die and can, in fact, be saved with blockchain networks. He separates this movement, which aims to provide a solid foundation for everything from social networks to artificial intelligence to virtual worlds, from cryptocurrency speculation —a distinction he calls “the computer vs. the casino.”
With lucid and compelling prose— drawing from a 25-year career in the software industry—Dixon shows how the internet has undergone three distinct eras, bringing us to the critical moment we’re in today. The first was the “read” era, in which early networks democratized information. In the “read-write” era, corporate networks democratized publishing. We are now in the midst of the “read-write-own” era, sometimes called web3, in which blockchain networks are granting power and economic benefits to communities of users, not just corporations.
Read Write Own is a must-read for anyone—internet users, business leaders, creators, entrepreneurs—who wants to understand where we’ve been and where we’re going. It provides a vision for a better internet and a playbook to navigate and build the future.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published January 30, 2024
About the author
Chris Dixon
2 books31 followersLibrarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Chris Dixon is a general partner at the storied venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which he joined in 2013. He has invested there in Oculus (later acquired by Facebook), Coinbase, and other companies. He also placed early bets on Kickstarter, Pinterest, Stack Overflow, and Stripe, all of which have products in wide use today. Dixon founded and leads a16z crypto, a division of the firm that he has grown from $300 million in 2018 to over $7 billion of committed capital dedicated to investing in crypto and web3 technologies. In 2022, he was ranked #1 on the Forbes Midas List of the world’s best venture capital investors. Dixon has a bachelor of arts and a master’s degree in philosophy from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and has founded two startups (acquired by McAfee and eBay). He grew up in Ohio and lives in California.
Penguin Random House
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Chris Dixon is a general partner at the storied venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, which he joined in 2013. He has invested there in Oculus (later acquired by Facebook), Coinbase, and other companies. He also placed early bets on Kickstarter, Pinterest, Stack Overflow, and Stripe, all of which have products in wide use today. Dixon founded and leads a16z crypto, a division of the firm that he has grown from $300 million in 2018 to over $7 billion of committed capital dedicated to investing in crypto and web3 technologies. In 2022, he was ranked #1 on the Forbes Midas List of the world’s best venture capital investors. Dixon has a bachelor of arts and a master’s degree in philosophy from Columbia University and an MBA from Harvard Business School, and has founded two startups (acquired by McAfee and eBay). He grew up in Ohio and lives in California.
Penguin Random House
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
February 9, 2024
Watch out for the sock puppet accounts reviewing this positively. Molly White has the definitive review: https://www.citationneeded.news/revie...
Note that this is not a _real_ NYT Best Seller, they "daggered" it: https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7emk...
Note that this is not a _real_ NYT Best Seller, they "daggered" it: https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7emk...
March 21, 2024
What is going on here?! This book is clearly a joke, a satire, a prank, ... but it isn't ;( And that's the worst part of it.
It doesn't start that bad. There's a good intro on network effects & a promising start on protocol-based decentralization. Additionally, there are good comments on what's wrong (some of the things) with centralized distributed systems. But the deeper you get into, the more "WTF" moments you approach & the more jaw-dropping they get.
Basically, this is a book written by a zealous blockchain worshipper. He sees no drawbacks, no cons, no negative aspects. He still lives in a world where NFT does not just make ANY sense - they are actually a great solution. This guy doesn't understand that the technology that hasn't solved its most fundamental problem (1:1 reliable connection between off-the-chain & on-the-chain asset) CAN'T work - CAN'T make any sense. He's still bubbling about NFTs being an art and requiring some sort of an understanding of this form of art. Seriously, at this point, you could call it a scam - it's pure deception.
Blockchains are obviously flawless. Even within the DeFi community, there are mixed opinions, e.g., on why PoS can't replace PoW (because it can lead to centralization). For Dixon, there are no issue: we're clearly facing perfection here! He's advocating for all the discredited ideas that HAVEN'T worked in practice: like DAO. He's talking about transparency and asking laymen to read code ... Seriously ... This book could have tricked someone 3-4 years ago. But not now. Now it's just a parody, a travesty, a clear waste of time written by a person who - SURPRISINGLY - most likely doesn't even understand what he's writing about!
If you read my reviews, you've probably figured it out: I do restrain (as much as possible) from criticizing the authors. I assume their good intentions; I assume they've done their best, and I keep hoping someone could like the book more than I did. But in this case I'll make the exception:
- this book is cynical
- this book is pure bullshit
- this book is wishful thinking, not just not based on facts - it's contrary to the known facts
Avoid at all costs.
It doesn't start that bad. There's a good intro on network effects & a promising start on protocol-based decentralization. Additionally, there are good comments on what's wrong (some of the things) with centralized distributed systems. But the deeper you get into, the more "WTF" moments you approach & the more jaw-dropping they get.
Basically, this is a book written by a zealous blockchain worshipper. He sees no drawbacks, no cons, no negative aspects. He still lives in a world where NFT does not just make ANY sense - they are actually a great solution. This guy doesn't understand that the technology that hasn't solved its most fundamental problem (1:1 reliable connection between off-the-chain & on-the-chain asset) CAN'T work - CAN'T make any sense. He's still bubbling about NFTs being an art and requiring some sort of an understanding of this form of art. Seriously, at this point, you could call it a scam - it's pure deception.
Blockchains are obviously flawless. Even within the DeFi community, there are mixed opinions, e.g., on why PoS can't replace PoW (because it can lead to centralization). For Dixon, there are no issue: we're clearly facing perfection here! He's advocating for all the discredited ideas that HAVEN'T worked in practice: like DAO. He's talking about transparency and asking laymen to read code ... Seriously ... This book could have tricked someone 3-4 years ago. But not now. Now it's just a parody, a travesty, a clear waste of time written by a person who - SURPRISINGLY - most likely doesn't even understand what he's writing about!
If you read my reviews, you've probably figured it out: I do restrain (as much as possible) from criticizing the authors. I assume their good intentions; I assume they've done their best, and I keep hoping someone could like the book more than I did. But in this case I'll make the exception:
- this book is cynical
- this book is pure bullshit
- this book is wishful thinking, not just not based on facts - it's contrary to the known facts
Avoid at all costs.
February 11, 2024
"Read Write Own" is a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in the future of how we create, share, and own content in the digital age. This book is an absolute gem that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. It is a mind-blowing journey through the realm of technology and digital ownership, presented in an easy-to-understand way. It dives into complex blockchain, cryptocurrency, and creator economy concepts, but in such a digestible manner that even my 10 year old could get it and, what’s more, find it fascinating!
March 10, 2024
I thought someone with Dixon's background (2x tech startup founder, now a partner at A16z) would be able to get past the hand-waving on blockchain and to the specifics of what can/can't work and why. Instead it was just handwaving on a grander scale.
The book starts in a good place, pointing out the negatives that have come from the increasing aggregate power from "corporate networks" (aka Big Tech, and specifically the Big Tech network companies like Facebook, google, apple, etc). He never quite gets around to explaining how blockchains and 'web 3' will solve this, other than just claiming that they will. Additionally, its hard to believe the rhetoric about how decentralized systems will prevent aggregation of power, when coming from a VC, who wouldn't be investing in such companies if there wasn't the opportunity for just such an aggregation to take place in new hands.
When addressing criticisms of blockchains, he simply handwaves, claims they are wrong, and doesn't actually explain why.
In the latter part of the book, he calls out a number of use cases for blockchains. The ones around gaming (my domain of expertise) are flawed in numerous ways, and I suspect the others are similarly flawed.
I'm open to, and have been looking for, an optimistic and detailed deep dive on the potential of blockchain tech. This wasn't it.
The book starts in a good place, pointing out the negatives that have come from the increasing aggregate power from "corporate networks" (aka Big Tech, and specifically the Big Tech network companies like Facebook, google, apple, etc). He never quite gets around to explaining how blockchains and 'web 3' will solve this, other than just claiming that they will. Additionally, its hard to believe the rhetoric about how decentralized systems will prevent aggregation of power, when coming from a VC, who wouldn't be investing in such companies if there wasn't the opportunity for just such an aggregation to take place in new hands.
When addressing criticisms of blockchains, he simply handwaves, claims they are wrong, and doesn't actually explain why.
In the latter part of the book, he calls out a number of use cases for blockchains. The ones around gaming (my domain of expertise) are flawed in numerous ways, and I suspect the others are similarly flawed.
I'm open to, and have been looking for, an optimistic and detailed deep dive on the potential of blockchain tech. This wasn't it.
February 17, 2024
Very clear and insightful. If read with an open mind, it will effectively put every-day technologies you take for granted in a new light. It lies next to select company in my bookshelf, alongside The Bitcoin Standard by Ammous (changed my understanding of Bitcoin, in particular, and money/economics, in general), The Cold Start Problem by Chen (changed my understanding of network effects), and Zero to One by Thiel (changed how I see globalization, monopolies, and the role of startups), to name a few. It's that good.
The premise of the book is that network design is destiny.
In essence, how a network is built and the how information flows between nodes have outsized implications regarding which activities are allowed to take place in the network, the creation and disbursement of incentives, which new functions are added, network governance, and more importantly, how much value/profit is captured.
Network topology is thus the single, most accurate predictor of how the network will mature once it reaches critical mass. To drive home this important concept of network destiny, the author revisits the still unfolding history of the internet in three eras, each precipitated by their dominant network catalysts.
The “Read Era” of the internet was brought about by Protocol Networks, like the Web and Email. They democratized reading, as in anyone with a connection could access content published by people and organizations with the resources and know-how to do so. These networks were open, permissionless, and egalitarian. They allowed anyone to build on top of them and create value - mostly by solving important problems such as dealing with spam or making web pages easier to search. Profits flowed to the edges of the network where people adding value to the network could rightfully claim the spoils and continue building.
The “Read-Write Era” was the result of the rise of Corporate Networks. They democratized publishing. Anyone with access to a computer could now write blogs with ease, as well as post their “status”, rants, etc. Whereas Protocol networks are open and enriched by a thriving community of developers who invest their free time making it better, Corporate network are “gated” and private. Their control is centralized; all power resides at the center, and all profits flow to the owners of the network and away from the creators (at the edges).
The third era is the “Read-Write-Own Era”, a product of the much maligned and misunderstood Blockchain Networks. These network combine the best parts of the previous two, while fixing the problems that plague both of them. They are open, community owned, egalitarian, decentralized, and self-sustaining. These networks have the power to encode contracts that programmatically enshrine and enforce the “commitments” made to the users of the network at the time of their creation. These are immutable (unless the community votes change them), and predictable (since these commitments are triggered programmatically and are “set in stone”, one can rest assured that no single authority will be able to change terms and conditions whenever it suits them, as Corporate networks can).
And because in properly designed blockchains the disbursement of incentives are built in such a way that it rewards creators, contributors, and participants, there is no need to thirst for profits by relying on the venture capital model that is the flywheel of Corporate Networks. Blockchains can be self-sustaining.
Dixon is a brilliant tech writer, and his use of analogies to explain the difference between decentralized networks such as Blockchains and their nemesis-Corporate networks-illustrate this: cities vs. theme parks.
Blockchains (and Protocol networks, to great extent), he explains, are like great cities. They enjoy a rich combination of public and private spaces that create a thriving community around them. The public parks attract visitors, the public roads and sidewalks allow people to move about freely and discover new and interesting (but private) places such as stores, restaurants, theaters, etc. All this leads to an exchange of resources that allow for re-investment in both public and private works, and so on. Land grants (tokens) incentivize developers to create new spaces or improve existing ones. The community has a say in the form of votes.
In contrast, Corporate networks are like theme parks. Once you go past their gates they control the entire experience from beginning to end. They decide how much to charge, what to build, who can enter and how long they stay. They also decide how much profit flows to the artists and contributors that provide the content and keep the place running. They own all intellectual property. What’s more, all decisions are made by a central authority (namely a CEO or a board) and there is no guarantee that their commitments will remain intact - they change their terms and commitments frequently in response to economic pressures.
I guess theme parks can be nice and all, but I don't know who would like to live in them 24/7 (actually, there's a town in Florida called "Celebration" which was created by the Walt Disney Corporation - the reviews are not stellar). Also, wasn't Jurassic Park a theme park too at some point? And look at what happened... I for one, don't enjoy Zuckersaurus rex running around moving fast and breaking things...
Blockchain networks will allow us to build more equitable virtual spaces where ownership rights are enshrined and protected. Where the power and governance resides with the communities that built and depend on them, and where the possibilities for what can be created are endless. If you can code it, you can create it! Corporate networks and their overlords need not rule the future of the internet.
I will stop here cause I cannot continue this review without diminishing the author’s own work by fumbling along with his arguments any further. Instead, I leave you with his parting words:
The premise of the book is that network design is destiny.
In essence, how a network is built and the how information flows between nodes have outsized implications regarding which activities are allowed to take place in the network, the creation and disbursement of incentives, which new functions are added, network governance, and more importantly, how much value/profit is captured.
Network topology is thus the single, most accurate predictor of how the network will mature once it reaches critical mass. To drive home this important concept of network destiny, the author revisits the still unfolding history of the internet in three eras, each precipitated by their dominant network catalysts.
The “Read Era” of the internet was brought about by Protocol Networks, like the Web and Email. They democratized reading, as in anyone with a connection could access content published by people and organizations with the resources and know-how to do so. These networks were open, permissionless, and egalitarian. They allowed anyone to build on top of them and create value - mostly by solving important problems such as dealing with spam or making web pages easier to search. Profits flowed to the edges of the network where people adding value to the network could rightfully claim the spoils and continue building.
The “Read-Write Era” was the result of the rise of Corporate Networks. They democratized publishing. Anyone with access to a computer could now write blogs with ease, as well as post their “status”, rants, etc. Whereas Protocol networks are open and enriched by a thriving community of developers who invest their free time making it better, Corporate network are “gated” and private. Their control is centralized; all power resides at the center, and all profits flow to the owners of the network and away from the creators (at the edges).
The third era is the “Read-Write-Own Era”, a product of the much maligned and misunderstood Blockchain Networks. These network combine the best parts of the previous two, while fixing the problems that plague both of them. They are open, community owned, egalitarian, decentralized, and self-sustaining. These networks have the power to encode contracts that programmatically enshrine and enforce the “commitments” made to the users of the network at the time of their creation. These are immutable (unless the community votes change them), and predictable (since these commitments are triggered programmatically and are “set in stone”, one can rest assured that no single authority will be able to change terms and conditions whenever it suits them, as Corporate networks can).
And because in properly designed blockchains the disbursement of incentives are built in such a way that it rewards creators, contributors, and participants, there is no need to thirst for profits by relying on the venture capital model that is the flywheel of Corporate Networks. Blockchains can be self-sustaining.
Dixon is a brilliant tech writer, and his use of analogies to explain the difference between decentralized networks such as Blockchains and their nemesis-Corporate networks-illustrate this: cities vs. theme parks.
Blockchains (and Protocol networks, to great extent), he explains, are like great cities. They enjoy a rich combination of public and private spaces that create a thriving community around them. The public parks attract visitors, the public roads and sidewalks allow people to move about freely and discover new and interesting (but private) places such as stores, restaurants, theaters, etc. All this leads to an exchange of resources that allow for re-investment in both public and private works, and so on. Land grants (tokens) incentivize developers to create new spaces or improve existing ones. The community has a say in the form of votes.
In contrast, Corporate networks are like theme parks. Once you go past their gates they control the entire experience from beginning to end. They decide how much to charge, what to build, who can enter and how long they stay. They also decide how much profit flows to the artists and contributors that provide the content and keep the place running. They own all intellectual property. What’s more, all decisions are made by a central authority (namely a CEO or a board) and there is no guarantee that their commitments will remain intact - they change their terms and commitments frequently in response to economic pressures.
I guess theme parks can be nice and all, but I don't know who would like to live in them 24/7 (actually, there's a town in Florida called "Celebration" which was created by the Walt Disney Corporation - the reviews are not stellar). Also, wasn't Jurassic Park a theme park too at some point? And look at what happened... I for one, don't enjoy Zuckersaurus rex running around moving fast and breaking things...
Blockchain networks will allow us to build more equitable virtual spaces where ownership rights are enshrined and protected. Where the power and governance resides with the communities that built and depend on them, and where the possibilities for what can be created are endless. If you can code it, you can create it! Corporate networks and their overlords need not rule the future of the internet.
I will stop here cause I cannot continue this review without diminishing the author’s own work by fumbling along with his arguments any further. Instead, I leave you with his parting words:
The future of the internet is us-you and me.
The internet is, increasingly, where we live our lives, and it overlaps more and more with the so-called real world.
Think about how much of your life you live online, how much of your identity resides there, how much you interact with friends whom you've developed relationships with through the medium of the internet.
Whom do you want in control of that world?*
March 2, 2024
Clown book for clown people.
Extremely mediocre blockchain propaganda.
Has really no interesting points or novel ideas. It’s just a bad rehash of what people were repeating glassy eyed at blockchain conferences in 2021/2022.
I’m gonna teach you something, because this book is almost entirely devoid of actual content. Every time someone touts the magic of “decentralization,” look to see how much they expect to make in transaction fees for the “service” of decentralizing whatever the fuck they’re talking about. OpenSea talked fervently about NFT and decentralizing art or fractional monkey pics while charging 2.5% every time someone engaged in this supposedly magical exchange. If these things are so much easier and better, why do they charge loan shark prices? EVERY time these freaking things pop up the transaction costs are miniscule, and the fees are usurious. Decentralization of the type Chris talks of is shorthand for “we don’t like the fact that other people are making money when these transactions happen so we’ve invented a new way for you to pay us instead of them.”
And go buy the monkey pics if you like the monkey pics. But don’t try to sell me some reinvention of the business that visa and Mastercard have run for years and claim that it’s some sort of novel technology. You’re literally just extracting rent with more steps.
Nothing Chris says blockchain does in this book is special to blockchain. All the magical transparency benefits can be done with code that you post on GitHub and let people look through. This is literally a concentrated dose of the worst empty hype about “reinventing the Internet with Web3“ out there, but possibly worse because at least when I come across this drivel on Twitter I can block them.
The majority of the use cases in this book would actually make the general user experience worse. I think blockchain will be a technology that is used in the future. And I’m long-term for it. Hell I helped build a protocol and enjoyed my time around the space. But I think this future is far off and exists despite the fact that clowns like Chris are common, and make tons of empty promises about the technology today.
Extremely mediocre blockchain propaganda.
Has really no interesting points or novel ideas. It’s just a bad rehash of what people were repeating glassy eyed at blockchain conferences in 2021/2022.
I’m gonna teach you something, because this book is almost entirely devoid of actual content. Every time someone touts the magic of “decentralization,” look to see how much they expect to make in transaction fees for the “service” of decentralizing whatever the fuck they’re talking about. OpenSea talked fervently about NFT and decentralizing art or fractional monkey pics while charging 2.5% every time someone engaged in this supposedly magical exchange. If these things are so much easier and better, why do they charge loan shark prices? EVERY time these freaking things pop up the transaction costs are miniscule, and the fees are usurious. Decentralization of the type Chris talks of is shorthand for “we don’t like the fact that other people are making money when these transactions happen so we’ve invented a new way for you to pay us instead of them.”
And go buy the monkey pics if you like the monkey pics. But don’t try to sell me some reinvention of the business that visa and Mastercard have run for years and claim that it’s some sort of novel technology. You’re literally just extracting rent with more steps.
Nothing Chris says blockchain does in this book is special to blockchain. All the magical transparency benefits can be done with code that you post on GitHub and let people look through. This is literally a concentrated dose of the worst empty hype about “reinventing the Internet with Web3“ out there, but possibly worse because at least when I come across this drivel on Twitter I can block them.
The majority of the use cases in this book would actually make the general user experience worse. I think blockchain will be a technology that is used in the future. And I’m long-term for it. Hell I helped build a protocol and enjoyed my time around the space. But I think this future is far off and exists despite the fact that clowns like Chris are common, and make tons of empty promises about the technology today.
March 7, 2024
The book does a great job detailing where the internet went wrong, and explaining why blockchain technologies have potentially important and novel use cases.
However, it’s somewhat repetitive, and not everything is explored in detail - this book will likely raise more questions than answers. For example, if profits are large enough, corporations should compete take rates down to sustainable rates in the long run - no blockchain needed?
However, it’s somewhat repetitive, and not everything is explored in detail - this book will likely raise more questions than answers. For example, if profits are large enough, corporations should compete take rates down to sustainable rates in the long run - no blockchain needed?
April 30, 2024
This is a surprisingly useless book. There are numerous articles published on A16Z’s blog that are better written and cited, and more informative than this book. And yes I cannot get past how the author criticizes these large corporate platforms without acknowledging his own firms outsized role in funding them. The book is stuck in the middle: it’s about blockchain but not written by a technologist. It’s a book about the failure of previous attempts at open web written by a venture capitalist. His opinions on technological trends are too skewed to be useful and his claims about blockchain’s promise are too unsubstantiated to be useful. I often say that books like these should just be blogs, but in this se I wish other A16Z posts became books.
March 3, 2024
A contender for one of the best books of 2024 already -- I knew plenty about the web3 grift before reading this; however, this book opened my eyes to the possible utility of blockchain and economics of blockchain and why creators desperately need this. Whether any of that utility can ever be achieved remains to be seen, but thanks to this book I'm no longer firmly in the "everything to do with crypto is a scam" camp.
January 28, 2024
Thank you for the Goodreads giveaway. I enjoyed reading this book it was informative, interesting, and easy to understand. it's a great book for people in the industry or someone that just wants to expand their knowledge.
April 11, 2024
There’s a lot of new technologies to keep track of these days. Between AI, VR, autonomous vehicles and more, it’s easy for blockchains to be overlooked. Not only that, but I think many of us have a negative impression of the two main products of blockchains - cryptocurrencies and NFT’s. So it’s safe to say blockchains were at the bottom of my barrel before I read this book.
But Chris Dixon gives a powerful argument in Read Write Own that blockchains are the key to an open, decentralized third phase of the internet. His thesis - Big Tech (Facebook, Google, Apple, etc.) has monopolized the online world, and users are paying the price. These companies are extracting more and more money from users, while users don’t actually own any of their stuff on these platforms. Users get less than 1% of all Facebook revenue, for example. This problem will only get worse as we spend more time online in an AI-powered VR landscape.
Dixon says the problem comes down to ownership. Blockchains prohibit one entity from monopolizing, instead guaranteeing that power will stay decentralized. Users will be able to actually own their assets and can hop from network to network retaining all their followers, usernames, skins, etc. And that’s just the beginning - because all the code will be open-source, better and better blockchains will be built over time all over the world, as opposed to being consolidated within one or two companies.
It’s a fascinating read. It prompted me to dig deeper into his arguments and see where people agree and disagree. Scroll through a few reviews on Goodreads and you’ll find some compelling arguments against Dixon, for sure. But knowledge has to start somewhere, and I think this book is a thorough, inspiring first step into the world of blockchains. And I think that’s a step worth taking, because blockchains and cryptocurrencies are here to stay.
But Chris Dixon gives a powerful argument in Read Write Own that blockchains are the key to an open, decentralized third phase of the internet. His thesis - Big Tech (Facebook, Google, Apple, etc.) has monopolized the online world, and users are paying the price. These companies are extracting more and more money from users, while users don’t actually own any of their stuff on these platforms. Users get less than 1% of all Facebook revenue, for example. This problem will only get worse as we spend more time online in an AI-powered VR landscape.
Dixon says the problem comes down to ownership. Blockchains prohibit one entity from monopolizing, instead guaranteeing that power will stay decentralized. Users will be able to actually own their assets and can hop from network to network retaining all their followers, usernames, skins, etc. And that’s just the beginning - because all the code will be open-source, better and better blockchains will be built over time all over the world, as opposed to being consolidated within one or two companies.
It’s a fascinating read. It prompted me to dig deeper into his arguments and see where people agree and disagree. Scroll through a few reviews on Goodreads and you’ll find some compelling arguments against Dixon, for sure. But knowledge has to start somewhere, and I think this book is a thorough, inspiring first step into the world of blockchains. And I think that’s a step worth taking, because blockchains and cryptocurrencies are here to stay.
March 28, 2024
Big tech taxes innovation and creativity!
and it's not a low tax 🫤
I really don't like the economic state of the internet today...
Most of it's economics is flowing through gateways of a handful of big tech companies and they are taking a ridiculous percentage of it.
Apple & Google app stores: ~30%
YouTube: 45%
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook... ~100% 🤯
The big tech is making hundreds of billions off of users attention and engagement, creator's creativity, and innovator's ideas and inventions!
Again: they tax innovation and creativity! 😡
When there is low economic incentives to be creative (because of this big tax) and
when you know you have no power over these giants and
they can wipe out your creations or
tax you even more,
innovation slows down 😢
This book made me at least 10 times smarter about internet, web, protocols, networks, economics and innovation.
It's the education of a lifetime if you care about any of the above or human progress in general.
brilliant analogies and perspective! I ordered 3 more copies to give as gifts!
Chris explains how blockchain networks are essential building blocks of the next era of the internet and
how they can counterbalance the current internet consolidation by big tech.
Happy reading! 📙
and it's not a low tax 🫤
I really don't like the economic state of the internet today...
Most of it's economics is flowing through gateways of a handful of big tech companies and they are taking a ridiculous percentage of it.
Apple & Google app stores: ~30%
YouTube: 45%
Instagram, TikTok, Facebook... ~100% 🤯
The big tech is making hundreds of billions off of users attention and engagement, creator's creativity, and innovator's ideas and inventions!
Again: they tax innovation and creativity! 😡
When there is low economic incentives to be creative (because of this big tax) and
when you know you have no power over these giants and
they can wipe out your creations or
tax you even more,
innovation slows down 😢
This book made me at least 10 times smarter about internet, web, protocols, networks, economics and innovation.
It's the education of a lifetime if you care about any of the above or human progress in general.
brilliant analogies and perspective! I ordered 3 more copies to give as gifts!
Chris explains how blockchain networks are essential building blocks of the next era of the internet and
how they can counterbalance the current internet consolidation by big tech.
Happy reading! 📙
February 24, 2024
Incredible. Dixon does a fantastic job of going deep enough to illustrate the value and state of blockchain and its relationship to the current internet/web in detail, without getting caught up in details.
This book has reinvigorated my interest and passion for blockchain and technology, something that was hurt by the corporate network structure that Dixon sums up so well.
My only feedback would be at times it gets slightly repetitive, possibly could have cut down on some of the sections which beat the same drum, but I don’t think this takes away from how fantastic this book is. And many of the points that are repeated bear repeating.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in technology, marketing, economics, democracy, and the future!
This book has reinvigorated my interest and passion for blockchain and technology, something that was hurt by the corporate network structure that Dixon sums up so well.
My only feedback would be at times it gets slightly repetitive, possibly could have cut down on some of the sections which beat the same drum, but I don’t think this takes away from how fantastic this book is. And many of the points that are repeated bear repeating.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in technology, marketing, economics, democracy, and the future!
Want to read
February 13, 2024This book is about blockchain programing, which has been around for better than 10 years but so far has only been used for bitcoin processing. Any one can participate in building these programs as long as the program validations who run the program agrees with the addition. The same process let's anyone who uses it add data to it. The author also says that we need to get congress to pass laws to regulate the industry, something that l definitely agree with. Right now we run the computer industry using laws from the 1930s the were passed for the depression. If your not a member of the industry you should take your time reading this, don't be afraid to stop and think about what you have read, and reread to make sure you understand what the book says.
February 18, 2024
Dixon is best in class at succinctly explaining the potential of blockchain and also the need for patience when evaluating new technologies. Great historical context. Short of 5 stars because there wasn’t much new in the book that he hasn’t discussed already on numerous podcasts. Structure is a little monotonous as well.
March 23, 2024
This book is a terrific new baseline for understanding internet history and its progression to web3. It pushes our frontiers forward by being a wealth of information for the future of our technological world.
I feel privileged to say a lot of the information in this book was not new to me. Thus, I worry it is still quite hard to digest for someone not very integrated into web3 already. Yet, this will be the book I recommend to crypto-curious friends with patience and curiosity.
I feel privileged to say a lot of the information in this book was not new to me. Thus, I worry it is still quite hard to digest for someone not very integrated into web3 already. Yet, this will be the book I recommend to crypto-curious friends with patience and curiosity.
February 2, 2024
This is the ideal book to give to your parents who think crypto is a scam
March 22, 2024
A little dry at times, but some really interesting ideas and helped me think much more broadly about the applications of blockchain
April 14, 2024
Super well articulated with useful examples
- attract and extract theory with platforms, verticalized software
- composability is software's version of compounding interest
- squeezing the balloon theories with zero-sum competitions
- crypto native ideologies: faucets, token supply, protocols, governance, and examples
- protocol network vs corporate network vs blockchain networks
- attract and extract theory with platforms, verticalized software
- composability is software's version of compounding interest
- squeezing the balloon theories with zero-sum competitions
- crypto native ideologies: faucets, token supply, protocols, governance, and examples
- protocol network vs corporate network vs blockchain networks
March 21, 2024
Chris does a marvelous job of explaining blockchain and how it will impact as much of our world as AI will and quickly gets past the snake oil part of the scene that is NFTs. If you are interested in tech but blockchain and how it might help you, debunk deepfakes, or streamline your work-life, this book should be part of that education.
Read
December 22, 2023Chris Dixon provides a critical look at the aggregation of power of the large Internet companies, which have turned the formerly free network into a place comprised largely of toll-roads. "The Take" of App-Stores, e-commerce sites and media companies is getting increasingly bigger and erodes ownership of books, music and movies more than ever.
In his book he makes the case that technologies like Blockchain Ledgers and Tokenization have the potential to give us the freedoms back we lost over the past decades and liberates us from the shackles of the companies which are dominating the internet today. A fascinating read and a thought process any business leader can follow and should pay attention to.
In his book he makes the case that technologies like Blockchain Ledgers and Tokenization have the potential to give us the freedoms back we lost over the past decades and liberates us from the shackles of the companies which are dominating the internet today. A fascinating read and a thought process any business leader can follow and should pay attention to.
April 18, 2024
Chris Dixon is a famous crypto guy.
His thesis is that digital worlds were once only about reading.
The 2nd step was writing: creating content for social media.
We're now at the 3rd step: owning the content we create.
Web 3 can incentivize innovation, reduce taxes on creators, and let the contributors share in the decision-making process and its upside.
He introduced me to the word "skeuomorphic."
It's holdovers in product design.
Another is "one-boxing."
It's when Google reveals the answer (from your site) on the results page so that nobody clicks on your page, killing your traffic.
This book is invaluable for those who know little about crypto and web 3.
Experts may learn little, though.
His thesis is that digital worlds were once only about reading.
The 2nd step was writing: creating content for social media.
We're now at the 3rd step: owning the content we create.
Web 3 can incentivize innovation, reduce taxes on creators, and let the contributors share in the decision-making process and its upside.
He introduced me to the word "skeuomorphic."
It's holdovers in product design.
Another is "one-boxing."
It's when Google reveals the answer (from your site) on the results page so that nobody clicks on your page, killing your traffic.
This book is invaluable for those who know little about crypto and web 3.
Experts may learn little, though.
April 20, 2024
The problem of internet centralization can be remedied through blockchain decentralization, the argument goes. Stated another way, by leveraging blockchain's decentralized architecture, we can create a more democratic and open internet, mitigating the issues that arise from centralization.
Although slightly "out there" at times, Chris Dixon's "Read Write Own" was educational and interesting. I discovered Dixon when he was a guest on "Hard Fork," the tech podcast produced by the NY Times. This book was timed well in my life after having just completed "The Innovators" by Walter Isaacson, which nostalgically brought me back to the Marc Andreesen internet days. Dixon is partnered with Andreeson at Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm dedicated to high-tech start-ups.
On that podcast, I thought Chris did a good job defending claims of bias since his firm invests in blockchain companies. I decided to give the book a shot, especially since I wanted to learn more about blockchain and cryptocurrency.
A Passionate Plea for a More Democratic Internet:
Read Write Own is a thought-provoking exploration of the internet's evolution and the potential of blockchain technology to reshape its future. Drawing from his extensive experience in Silicon Valley startups and network technology, Dixon argues for a return to the decentralized spirit of the early Internet, where users have greater control over their digital assets and networks.
The Rise of Corporate Networks and the Stifling of Innovation:
Throughout the book, Dixon provides a comprehensive overview of the history and technical aspects of the Internet. He explains the differences between protocol networks, which are open and decentralized, and corporate networks, which are controlled by behemoth companies. The author argues that corporate networks engage in an "attract-extract" cycle, initially luring in developers and users with the promise of cooperation, only to crush them later or out-compete them.
Blockchain: A Potential Solution to Centralization:
A little too far into the book, Dixon introduces blockchain technology as a potential solution to the centralization problem. He explains the basics of cryptography, decentralization, and the economic principles behind tokenization. While the explanations can be complex—and even incomprehensible because of sci-fi-esque ideas—the author uses metaphors and analogies to make the concepts more accessible to readers.
The Vision of a Token-Powered Internet:
The book's central thesis is that blockchain networks can provide the benefits of both protocol and corporate networks, enabling a more open, democratic internet where users retain ownership of their data and digital assets. Dixon envisions a future where creators and developers are incentivized through tokens to build and contribute to decentralized networks.
Challenges and Limitations:
I felt the book fell short of convincingly demonstrating how blockchain technology can scale to billions of users and compete with established corporate networks. While Dixon's optimism and passion for the technology are evident, the book could benefit from more explanatory depth of real-world examples of successful blockchain implementations.
Two examples to illustrate the challenges and limitations:
1) Scalability concerns: Dixon doesn't adequately address the scalability issues that many blockchain networks face. For instance, Ethereum, one of the most popular blockchain platforms, has struggled with high transaction fees and slow processing times during periods of high network congestion. This has led to concerns about its ability to handle the volume of transactions required for widespread adoption. The book would benefit from a more in-depth discussion of how blockchain networks plan to overcome these technical limitations to accommodate billions of users.
2) Lack of in-depth analysis of blockchain-based social media platforms: Dixon mentions several attempts at creating decentralized social media platforms using blockchain technology but does not explain why these projects failed to gain traction or compete effectively with centralized platforms like Facebook or Twitter. For example, Dixon could explore the specific features, incentive structures, or user experiences that made some platforms more appealing. By providing insights into these projects' strengths and weaknesses, readers would better understand the challenges involved in creating successful, large-scale blockchain implementations in the social media space, where Dixon devotes a good portion of his time (I personally feel like Social Media is dying but that view is myopic since younger people will probably forever gravitate towards this way to connect).
Vision vs. Reality: The Blockchain Dilemma:
As I delved deeper, Dixon’s vision of a blockchain-driven future oscillates between revolutionary potential and unfounded optimism. He occasionally stretches assumptions to their breaking point, leaving the reader to wonder whether the blockchain solution is as clear-cut and universally applicable as posited. My opinion is starting to warm up to blockchain after hearing Dixon and Naval Ravikant speak about Web3 on Tim Ferriss' podcast regarding artists selling art rights via NFTs and smart contracts.
Nine More Interesting Ideas and Topics within the Book:
1) Innovative technological breakthroughs occur about once every 10 to 15 years, and Dixon argues that we are due for another one, with blockchain being a potential candidate.
2) Dixon draws analogies between blockchain networks and cities, emphasizing the importance of well-designed networks and the potential for private developers to build on top of public infrastructure.
3) The book explores the concept of "tokenomics," which involves balancing the supply and demand of tokens within a blockchain network to create a thriving economy.
4) Dixon argues that blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) can co-evolve, with blockchain serving as a foundation for a new covenant between creators and AI providers.
5) The book discusses the concept of "one-boxing" by Google, or enlarging direct snippets of content, which allegedly hurts click-through traffic to websites.
6) The author introduces the idea of "inside-out" and "outside-in" technologies, with inside-out technologies being corporate-produced, well-packaged, and ready for the market, while outside-in technologies arrive from outsiders and represent an often-messy introduction.
7) The book emphasizes the importance of network design, noting that even small decisions can have extreme consequences downstream, whether the nodes are computers or people.
8) Dixon discusses the fall of RSS because it lacked the necessary funding and features to keep users engaged on the platform.
9) The book mentions that the United States has seen a decline in the percentage of global software developers, from 40% to 29% in the past five years, while AI consolidation is further benefiting big tech companies.
Educational and Thought-Provoking Content:
Despite its limitations, Read Write Own offers valuable insights into the current state of the internet and the potential for disruptive technologies like blockchain to reshape its future. Dixon's expertise and credibility in the field make his arguments worth considering, even if the path forward remains uncertain. The book is educational, informative, and thought-provoking, providing readers with a solid foundation in internet history, network technology, and emerging trends like blockchain and tokenization.
Final Verdict: An Enlightening Yet Unproven Blueprint
While Read Write Own is an enlightening journey into the intricacies of the internet and emerging technologies, it did not entirely convince me of blockchain’s potential to overhaul the current digital order. Dixon champions a future where every internet user is an owner, but the pathway remains nebulous. His insights into the digital landscape are undeniably profound, yet the leap from current realities to his envisioned future is a chasm yet to be bridged convincingly. I must note that I'm unfamiliar with and unpracticed in blockchain, so perhaps I lack the needed information to see it. Regardless of your opinion about blockchain's viability, Dixon's passionate plea for a more democratic internet will spark important conversations and inspire builders, creators, and users to reimagine what networks can be.
Although slightly "out there" at times, Chris Dixon's "Read Write Own" was educational and interesting. I discovered Dixon when he was a guest on "Hard Fork," the tech podcast produced by the NY Times. This book was timed well in my life after having just completed "The Innovators" by Walter Isaacson, which nostalgically brought me back to the Marc Andreesen internet days. Dixon is partnered with Andreeson at Andreessen Horowitz, a venture capital firm dedicated to high-tech start-ups.
On that podcast, I thought Chris did a good job defending claims of bias since his firm invests in blockchain companies. I decided to give the book a shot, especially since I wanted to learn more about blockchain and cryptocurrency.
A Passionate Plea for a More Democratic Internet:
Read Write Own is a thought-provoking exploration of the internet's evolution and the potential of blockchain technology to reshape its future. Drawing from his extensive experience in Silicon Valley startups and network technology, Dixon argues for a return to the decentralized spirit of the early Internet, where users have greater control over their digital assets and networks.
The Rise of Corporate Networks and the Stifling of Innovation:
Throughout the book, Dixon provides a comprehensive overview of the history and technical aspects of the Internet. He explains the differences between protocol networks, which are open and decentralized, and corporate networks, which are controlled by behemoth companies. The author argues that corporate networks engage in an "attract-extract" cycle, initially luring in developers and users with the promise of cooperation, only to crush them later or out-compete them.
Blockchain: A Potential Solution to Centralization:
A little too far into the book, Dixon introduces blockchain technology as a potential solution to the centralization problem. He explains the basics of cryptography, decentralization, and the economic principles behind tokenization. While the explanations can be complex—and even incomprehensible because of sci-fi-esque ideas—the author uses metaphors and analogies to make the concepts more accessible to readers.
The Vision of a Token-Powered Internet:
The book's central thesis is that blockchain networks can provide the benefits of both protocol and corporate networks, enabling a more open, democratic internet where users retain ownership of their data and digital assets. Dixon envisions a future where creators and developers are incentivized through tokens to build and contribute to decentralized networks.
Challenges and Limitations:
I felt the book fell short of convincingly demonstrating how blockchain technology can scale to billions of users and compete with established corporate networks. While Dixon's optimism and passion for the technology are evident, the book could benefit from more explanatory depth of real-world examples of successful blockchain implementations.
Two examples to illustrate the challenges and limitations:
1) Scalability concerns: Dixon doesn't adequately address the scalability issues that many blockchain networks face. For instance, Ethereum, one of the most popular blockchain platforms, has struggled with high transaction fees and slow processing times during periods of high network congestion. This has led to concerns about its ability to handle the volume of transactions required for widespread adoption. The book would benefit from a more in-depth discussion of how blockchain networks plan to overcome these technical limitations to accommodate billions of users.
2) Lack of in-depth analysis of blockchain-based social media platforms: Dixon mentions several attempts at creating decentralized social media platforms using blockchain technology but does not explain why these projects failed to gain traction or compete effectively with centralized platforms like Facebook or Twitter. For example, Dixon could explore the specific features, incentive structures, or user experiences that made some platforms more appealing. By providing insights into these projects' strengths and weaknesses, readers would better understand the challenges involved in creating successful, large-scale blockchain implementations in the social media space, where Dixon devotes a good portion of his time (I personally feel like Social Media is dying but that view is myopic since younger people will probably forever gravitate towards this way to connect).
Vision vs. Reality: The Blockchain Dilemma:
As I delved deeper, Dixon’s vision of a blockchain-driven future oscillates between revolutionary potential and unfounded optimism. He occasionally stretches assumptions to their breaking point, leaving the reader to wonder whether the blockchain solution is as clear-cut and universally applicable as posited. My opinion is starting to warm up to blockchain after hearing Dixon and Naval Ravikant speak about Web3 on Tim Ferriss' podcast regarding artists selling art rights via NFTs and smart contracts.
Nine More Interesting Ideas and Topics within the Book:
1) Innovative technological breakthroughs occur about once every 10 to 15 years, and Dixon argues that we are due for another one, with blockchain being a potential candidate.
2) Dixon draws analogies between blockchain networks and cities, emphasizing the importance of well-designed networks and the potential for private developers to build on top of public infrastructure.
3) The book explores the concept of "tokenomics," which involves balancing the supply and demand of tokens within a blockchain network to create a thriving economy.
4) Dixon argues that blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) can co-evolve, with blockchain serving as a foundation for a new covenant between creators and AI providers.
5) The book discusses the concept of "one-boxing" by Google, or enlarging direct snippets of content, which allegedly hurts click-through traffic to websites.
6) The author introduces the idea of "inside-out" and "outside-in" technologies, with inside-out technologies being corporate-produced, well-packaged, and ready for the market, while outside-in technologies arrive from outsiders and represent an often-messy introduction.
7) The book emphasizes the importance of network design, noting that even small decisions can have extreme consequences downstream, whether the nodes are computers or people.
8) Dixon discusses the fall of RSS because it lacked the necessary funding and features to keep users engaged on the platform.
9) The book mentions that the United States has seen a decline in the percentage of global software developers, from 40% to 29% in the past five years, while AI consolidation is further benefiting big tech companies.
Educational and Thought-Provoking Content:
Despite its limitations, Read Write Own offers valuable insights into the current state of the internet and the potential for disruptive technologies like blockchain to reshape its future. Dixon's expertise and credibility in the field make his arguments worth considering, even if the path forward remains uncertain. The book is educational, informative, and thought-provoking, providing readers with a solid foundation in internet history, network technology, and emerging trends like blockchain and tokenization.
Final Verdict: An Enlightening Yet Unproven Blueprint
While Read Write Own is an enlightening journey into the intricacies of the internet and emerging technologies, it did not entirely convince me of blockchain’s potential to overhaul the current digital order. Dixon champions a future where every internet user is an owner, but the pathway remains nebulous. His insights into the digital landscape are undeniably profound, yet the leap from current realities to his envisioned future is a chasm yet to be bridged convincingly. I must note that I'm unfamiliar with and unpracticed in blockchain, so perhaps I lack the needed information to see it. Regardless of your opinion about blockchain's viability, Dixon's passionate plea for a more democratic internet will spark important conversations and inspire builders, creators, and users to reimagine what networks can be.
April 24, 2024
This is the cutest cover I've seen for a book about blockchain lol. This book explained blockchain more simply than other books I've read on the topic. Clear and insightful - a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in the future of how we create, share, and own content in the digital age.
Notes:
- Google knows more about you than your mother
- The initial dream for the internet didn't last - over time, big tech companies gradually began to take over the internet, imposing their rules and extracting value from popular use of their platforms. Facebook, Google, Amazon and a few others dominate the internet today, stifling competition.
- The author calls the first internet era the “read” era – and it lasted roughly from 1990 to 2005. It was driven by the development of internet protocol networks that democratised information sharing – allowing anyone to access content on websites.
- Next came the second internet era: the “read-write” era – lasting roughly from 2006 to 2020. This is when corporate networks like Facebook and other social platforms flourished by enabling anyone to write and publish content that reaches mass audiences.
- Big Tech platforms have swallowed the vibrant ecosystems that nurtured early online life
On blockchain:
- What if there was a way to own things online the way we do in the real world? To hold assets securely without intermediaries, trade them freely, and carry them wherever we go across the internet?
- Blockchains arose from a paper published in 2008 by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto. He described a decentralized network of computers that could transfer value without central authorities. To accomplish this feat, Nakamoto introduced blockchain: a shared virtual computer running on many devices that maintains a canonical record of transactions. Cryptographic techniques ensure all participants agree on the state of this virtual computer.
- Unlike traditional centralised networks, blockchains have no single owner.
- Enter tokens. Tokens are like Lego blocks for the digital world – simple building blocks that developers can snap together in novel ways.
- Two types of tokens deliver this breakthrough in digital ownership: fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
1. Fungible tokens are like currencies – interchangeable units that can be swapped back and forth, allowing the secure and anonymous transfer of value solely via software. The most prominent example is the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. But fungible tokens' uses extend beyond payments. They can represent anything from airline miles to computational resources on a cloud computing network.
2. Whereas fungible tokens are replaceable and tradeable with one another, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are irreplaceable individual units; they’re more like collectibles. Each NFT represents a specific asset, like a visual work of art, a piece of music, a video clip, or even a plot of virtual land.
- According to the author, we are currently entering a third age of the internet: the “read-write-own” era. In contrast to the “read” and “read-write” eras, this era is characterized by broader ownership of digital goods on distributed platforms – spreading economic benefits and governance rights to communities of users themselves.
Notes:
- Google knows more about you than your mother
- The initial dream for the internet didn't last - over time, big tech companies gradually began to take over the internet, imposing their rules and extracting value from popular use of their platforms. Facebook, Google, Amazon and a few others dominate the internet today, stifling competition.
- The author calls the first internet era the “read” era – and it lasted roughly from 1990 to 2005. It was driven by the development of internet protocol networks that democratised information sharing – allowing anyone to access content on websites.
- Next came the second internet era: the “read-write” era – lasting roughly from 2006 to 2020. This is when corporate networks like Facebook and other social platforms flourished by enabling anyone to write and publish content that reaches mass audiences.
- Big Tech platforms have swallowed the vibrant ecosystems that nurtured early online life
On blockchain:
- What if there was a way to own things online the way we do in the real world? To hold assets securely without intermediaries, trade them freely, and carry them wherever we go across the internet?
- Blockchains arose from a paper published in 2008 by the mysterious Satoshi Nakamoto. He described a decentralized network of computers that could transfer value without central authorities. To accomplish this feat, Nakamoto introduced blockchain: a shared virtual computer running on many devices that maintains a canonical record of transactions. Cryptographic techniques ensure all participants agree on the state of this virtual computer.
- Unlike traditional centralised networks, blockchains have no single owner.
- Enter tokens. Tokens are like Lego blocks for the digital world – simple building blocks that developers can snap together in novel ways.
- Two types of tokens deliver this breakthrough in digital ownership: fungible and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
1. Fungible tokens are like currencies – interchangeable units that can be swapped back and forth, allowing the secure and anonymous transfer of value solely via software. The most prominent example is the cryptocurrency Bitcoin. But fungible tokens' uses extend beyond payments. They can represent anything from airline miles to computational resources on a cloud computing network.
2. Whereas fungible tokens are replaceable and tradeable with one another, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are irreplaceable individual units; they’re more like collectibles. Each NFT represents a specific asset, like a visual work of art, a piece of music, a video clip, or even a plot of virtual land.
- According to the author, we are currently entering a third age of the internet: the “read-write-own” era. In contrast to the “read” and “read-write” eras, this era is characterized by broader ownership of digital goods on distributed platforms – spreading economic benefits and governance rights to communities of users themselves.
February 16, 2024
“Read write own” is Chris Dixon’s view of the next era of the Internet, indicating that we have passed through the “Read” (Web 1.0) and “Write” (Web 2.0) eras of development.
The book presents the author’s view that Blockchain will be the computing engine for the future of the Internet and how individuals can wrestle back control from the powerful “Big Tech” corporates who now rule this critical medium.
I was encouraged to buy this book from the full-page ad that Andreesen Horowitz (a16z.com) in the Sunday edition of the New York Times on February 11, 2024. The title of the ad was “It’s time to take back the Internet”.
This headline is something we believe as well and it’s also why we started Snibble. We see the Big Tech companies – Facebook, Snap, TikTok, YouTube, X – as all being exploitive, orr as the author so well put it, they’ve moved from Attractive Platforms to Extractive Platforms.
Chris Dixon sees the re-emergence of Blockchain as the best way to create new roads on the Internet and simultaneously avoid the corporate concentration associated with the Big Tech networks. His point is that new Blockchain networks could move us from “Do no evil” (which has conveniently disappeared from Google’s values) to “Can’t do evil”. (Page 110.)
I liked the book very much as it ties in with my personal and business thinking. Someone or something has to reign in Big Tech, and at my little company - Snibble - we will definitely reinvestigate Blockchain. Snibble has already tried it for reducing the ad waste along the digital supply chain, but we will relook the technology with fresh eyes.
In terms of ways to improve the book, I think the author's analogies were good; but he should have considered visual maps. I am a visual thinker, and it is good – at least for people like me – to see concepts visualized. A good place to start would be to show how Blockchain today is an improvement over Blockchain five or ten years ago. How has it improved and who is leading these improvements?
The book could also have presented more interesting use cases of Blockchain. I loved his discussion on money transfers and telecoms; however, the author should have considered more “best in class” examples.
It’s a good book and one that I think could have tremendous utility for me. That said, it was a bit dry.
The book presents the author’s view that Blockchain will be the computing engine for the future of the Internet and how individuals can wrestle back control from the powerful “Big Tech” corporates who now rule this critical medium.
I was encouraged to buy this book from the full-page ad that Andreesen Horowitz (a16z.com) in the Sunday edition of the New York Times on February 11, 2024. The title of the ad was “It’s time to take back the Internet”.
This headline is something we believe as well and it’s also why we started Snibble. We see the Big Tech companies – Facebook, Snap, TikTok, YouTube, X – as all being exploitive, orr as the author so well put it, they’ve moved from Attractive Platforms to Extractive Platforms.
Chris Dixon sees the re-emergence of Blockchain as the best way to create new roads on the Internet and simultaneously avoid the corporate concentration associated with the Big Tech networks. His point is that new Blockchain networks could move us from “Do no evil” (which has conveniently disappeared from Google’s values) to “Can’t do evil”. (Page 110.)
I liked the book very much as it ties in with my personal and business thinking. Someone or something has to reign in Big Tech, and at my little company - Snibble - we will definitely reinvestigate Blockchain. Snibble has already tried it for reducing the ad waste along the digital supply chain, but we will relook the technology with fresh eyes.
In terms of ways to improve the book, I think the author's analogies were good; but he should have considered visual maps. I am a visual thinker, and it is good – at least for people like me – to see concepts visualized. A good place to start would be to show how Blockchain today is an improvement over Blockchain five or ten years ago. How has it improved and who is leading these improvements?
The book could also have presented more interesting use cases of Blockchain. I loved his discussion on money transfers and telecoms; however, the author should have considered more “best in class” examples.
It’s a good book and one that I think could have tremendous utility for me. That said, it was a bit dry.
March 8, 2024
In his thought-provoking book "Read Write Own," Chris Dixon presents a compelling vision of how blockchain technology could reshape the internet and, by extension, society as a whole. Drawing on his extensive experience in the tech industry, Dixon traces the evolution of the internet through three distinct eras: the "read" era, which democratized access to information; the "read-write" era, dominated by corporate networks that democratized publishing; and the emerging "read-write-own" era, characterized by the rise of blockchain networks.
Dixon argues that blockchain technology combines the best aspects of protocol networks and corporate networks while addressing their shortcomings. He contends that blockchains can create open, decentralized, and self-sustaining networks that enshrine the rights and incentives of creators, contributors, and participants. By contrast, he likens corporate networks to theme parks, where a central authority controls every aspect of the user experience and can change the rules at will.
One of the book's strengths is its accessibility. Dixon's clear and engaging writing style makes complex concepts easy to grasp, even for readers with little prior knowledge of blockchain technology. He employs vivid analogies, such as comparing blockchains to cities and corporate networks to theme parks, to illustrate his points.
However, the book lacks a more in-depth exploration of specific blockchain projects and their potential applications. Instead, Dixon focuses on the big-picture implications of blockchain technology for the future of the internet and society. While this approach provides valuable insights, it may leave some readers wanting more concrete examples.
Additionally, be aware of the author's financial interests in blockchain companies. Given Dixon's role as a partner at a prominent venture capital firm, greater transparency on this front would have strengthened the book's credibility.
Despite these limitations, "Read Write Own" offers a valuable perspective on the potential of blockchain technology to create a more equitable and decentralized internet. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the broader implications of this transformative technology and its potential to reshape our digital future.
Dixon argues that blockchain technology combines the best aspects of protocol networks and corporate networks while addressing their shortcomings. He contends that blockchains can create open, decentralized, and self-sustaining networks that enshrine the rights and incentives of creators, contributors, and participants. By contrast, he likens corporate networks to theme parks, where a central authority controls every aspect of the user experience and can change the rules at will.
One of the book's strengths is its accessibility. Dixon's clear and engaging writing style makes complex concepts easy to grasp, even for readers with little prior knowledge of blockchain technology. He employs vivid analogies, such as comparing blockchains to cities and corporate networks to theme parks, to illustrate his points.
However, the book lacks a more in-depth exploration of specific blockchain projects and their potential applications. Instead, Dixon focuses on the big-picture implications of blockchain technology for the future of the internet and society. While this approach provides valuable insights, it may leave some readers wanting more concrete examples.
Additionally, be aware of the author's financial interests in blockchain companies. Given Dixon's role as a partner at a prominent venture capital firm, greater transparency on this front would have strengthened the book's credibility.
Despite these limitations, "Read Write Own" offers a valuable perspective on the potential of blockchain technology to create a more equitable and decentralized internet. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the broader implications of this transformative technology and its potential to reshape our digital future.
April 24, 2024
"Read Write Own: Building the Next Era of the Internet" by Chris Dixon explores the evolution of the internet from its decentralized origins to its current state dominated by tech giants. Dixon contrasts the early days of the internet, characterized by freedom and empowerment, with the present, where centralized platforms control user-generated content and extract value from it.
Dixon introduces the concept of the "read" era of the internet, where users consumed content on websites, followed by the "read-write" era, where users became creators on social media platforms. However, both eras were marked by centralization and control by a few corporations.
The author proposes a new era of the internet, the "read-write-own" era, enabled by blockchain technology. Blockchain allows for decentralized networks where users have ownership and governance rights over digital assets. Dixon explains the fundamentals of blockchain technology, including the concept of tokens, which represent digital assets on the blockchain.
Two types of tokens are highlighted: fungible tokens, like cryptocurrencies, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which represent unique digital assets such as art or music. Dixon emphasizes the potential of NFTs to revolutionize digital ownership by allowing creators to retain control and receive fair compensation for their work.
The book discusses how blockchain networks disrupt traditional internet business models by shifting power away from centralized intermediaries. Decentralized platforms like Audius and LBRY empower content creators by allowing them to monetize their work directly without middlemen taking a significant cut.
Furthermore, blockchain enables new financial systems with lower transaction fees and greater accessibility. Developers are investing billions in building decentralized financial applications on platforms like Ethereum, signaling a potential challenge to the dominance of big tech companies.
In conclusion, Dixon envisions a future internet where users have greater control and ownership over their digital lives. The rise of blockchain technology offers an opportunity to create a more open, inclusive, and value-aligned internet, where users can read, write, and own their digital assets.
Dixon introduces the concept of the "read" era of the internet, where users consumed content on websites, followed by the "read-write" era, where users became creators on social media platforms. However, both eras were marked by centralization and control by a few corporations.
The author proposes a new era of the internet, the "read-write-own" era, enabled by blockchain technology. Blockchain allows for decentralized networks where users have ownership and governance rights over digital assets. Dixon explains the fundamentals of blockchain technology, including the concept of tokens, which represent digital assets on the blockchain.
Two types of tokens are highlighted: fungible tokens, like cryptocurrencies, and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), which represent unique digital assets such as art or music. Dixon emphasizes the potential of NFTs to revolutionize digital ownership by allowing creators to retain control and receive fair compensation for their work.
The book discusses how blockchain networks disrupt traditional internet business models by shifting power away from centralized intermediaries. Decentralized platforms like Audius and LBRY empower content creators by allowing them to monetize their work directly without middlemen taking a significant cut.
Furthermore, blockchain enables new financial systems with lower transaction fees and greater accessibility. Developers are investing billions in building decentralized financial applications on platforms like Ethereum, signaling a potential challenge to the dominance of big tech companies.
In conclusion, Dixon envisions a future internet where users have greater control and ownership over their digital lives. The rise of blockchain technology offers an opportunity to create a more open, inclusive, and value-aligned internet, where users can read, write, and own their digital assets.
March 3, 2024
I love when books root contemporary issues in historical context, and Dixon does an interesting job linking today's debates on blockchain technology with the history of protocol networks and the open source movement - both of which i think are important ways to frame any discussion on how to build an internet-native economy.
But unfortunately, because he extrapolates the potential of blockchains from these roots, rather than, for example, the history of money/capitalism/debt/fiscal/ monetary policy, this means the book is entirely dedicated to explaining why blockchains enable ownership of digital assets rather than, for example, monetary freedom for people who cannot trust middle parties like despotic or inflationary governments and central banks, or entire countries who otherwise succumb to dollarisation. This is likely the intention, given the title. On a personal level, though, the latter has always been my draw to crypto and I think these new forms of money have such serious life-changing potential for billions of people; whereas the former continues to push me away as, in its extreme, is just a new form of take rates and walled gardens online.
I just personally am not interested in a future version of the internet in which ever asset is ownable and monetisable. The book repeatedly shows how this is better for two parties - the 'creator' (of which there are maximum 50 million in the world) and start-ups competing against tech giants (again, an important but still small subset of society at large). Yes, monopolies are generally bad, and innovation and regulation should strive to protect the consumer against them. But blockchains and the relentless monetising of digital assets are not a compelling solution for the end consumer - or at least, this book failed to convince me otherwise.
But unfortunately, because he extrapolates the potential of blockchains from these roots, rather than, for example, the history of money/capitalism/debt/fiscal/ monetary policy, this means the book is entirely dedicated to explaining why blockchains enable ownership of digital assets rather than, for example, monetary freedom for people who cannot trust middle parties like despotic or inflationary governments and central banks, or entire countries who otherwise succumb to dollarisation. This is likely the intention, given the title. On a personal level, though, the latter has always been my draw to crypto and I think these new forms of money have such serious life-changing potential for billions of people; whereas the former continues to push me away as, in its extreme, is just a new form of take rates and walled gardens online.
I just personally am not interested in a future version of the internet in which ever asset is ownable and monetisable. The book repeatedly shows how this is better for two parties - the 'creator' (of which there are maximum 50 million in the world) and start-ups competing against tech giants (again, an important but still small subset of society at large). Yes, monopolies are generally bad, and innovation and regulation should strive to protect the consumer against them. But blockchains and the relentless monetising of digital assets are not a compelling solution for the end consumer - or at least, this book failed to convince me otherwise.
April 10, 2024
I think this book excels at explaining the status quo of the Big Tech domination. The author also provides a clear narrative about how the tech stack evolution can re-distribute value among the ecosystem's participants. However, it remains unclear to me what would be the killer blockchain app for consumers? I can see its value on the supply side of the equation (IP tracking, lower transaction fees, etc.), but what consumer demand force would enable it to be an economically viable ecosystem? Author says, "by studying the cash flows and burn rates of blockchain networks, you can value tokens like Ethereum's using traditional financial metrics such as price-to-earnings ratios." Then, there is no follow through. Show me the money.
Importantly, the author does not fully address what are the underlying reasons blockchain technology had failed to get a wider adoption to date, and why sometime soon it will move beyond the speculative manias into operational mainstream. Frankly, some of the incentives popularized by blockchain and presented as great concepts encourage pyramid-like schemes, where early adopters get a disproportionate value out of what effectively are vaporware products. Some of the companies used as examples in this book, such as Helium or Uniswap, do not appear viable if you research them outside of the book's narrative.
People like easy buttons, and blockchain tech as explained in this book is far from it. In contrast, status quo for many of the "problems" blockchain tech is trying to solve for is not that bad, especially from a consumer perspective. In short, this book is not numerate enough to convince me that now is the time nor what meaningful problem blockchain can solve in a big way today, even though I very much empathize with the ethos.
Importantly, the author does not fully address what are the underlying reasons blockchain technology had failed to get a wider adoption to date, and why sometime soon it will move beyond the speculative manias into operational mainstream. Frankly, some of the incentives popularized by blockchain and presented as great concepts encourage pyramid-like schemes, where early adopters get a disproportionate value out of what effectively are vaporware products. Some of the companies used as examples in this book, such as Helium or Uniswap, do not appear viable if you research them outside of the book's narrative.
People like easy buttons, and blockchain tech as explained in this book is far from it. In contrast, status quo for many of the "problems" blockchain tech is trying to solve for is not that bad, especially from a consumer perspective. In short, this book is not numerate enough to convince me that now is the time nor what meaningful problem blockchain can solve in a big way today, even though I very much empathize with the ethos.
March 7, 2024
This is an excellent book, especially for people who are overwhelmed by crypto and how the history of the internet lead up to the invention and importance of blockchain technology.
However, I’m specifically writing this review to address Blake, who turned replies off his review for some reason. Here’s my reply to Blake claiming Molly White has the ‘real’ review.
Molly White has made it her full time job to be the Inspector Javert of crypto. It’s a bizarre case of Schadenfreude and I’m not sure what she gains from following the industry around waiting for something to go wrong so she can celebrate.
She conveniently seems to miss every time the crypto industry succeeds in creating a more fair and distributed internet and financial system. Why not ask Argentinians how they feel about crypto as a way to hedge against their 211% annual inflation rate? In Nigeria and Kenya, innovation is booming as a new generation builds solutions to broken infrastructure using the blockchain. Crypto donations to Ukraine were able to surpass interception by Russia and arrive instantly and anonymously, spend on bulletproof vests and rations in the first few days of the war.
Blockchain verification and zero knowledge proofs are currently being used to enable people living under regimes to voice their opposition while maintaining their privacy. Blockchain proof of humanity can protect us from disinformation and deepfakes generated by AI. Molly never seems to notice these events or innovations.
If anyone is a sock puppet in these reviews, it’s you. I’d bet anything that you didn’t even read the book, did you Blake?
However, I’m specifically writing this review to address Blake, who turned replies off his review for some reason. Here’s my reply to Blake claiming Molly White has the ‘real’ review.
Molly White has made it her full time job to be the Inspector Javert of crypto. It’s a bizarre case of Schadenfreude and I’m not sure what she gains from following the industry around waiting for something to go wrong so she can celebrate.
She conveniently seems to miss every time the crypto industry succeeds in creating a more fair and distributed internet and financial system. Why not ask Argentinians how they feel about crypto as a way to hedge against their 211% annual inflation rate? In Nigeria and Kenya, innovation is booming as a new generation builds solutions to broken infrastructure using the blockchain. Crypto donations to Ukraine were able to surpass interception by Russia and arrive instantly and anonymously, spend on bulletproof vests and rations in the first few days of the war.
Blockchain verification and zero knowledge proofs are currently being used to enable people living under regimes to voice their opposition while maintaining their privacy. Blockchain proof of humanity can protect us from disinformation and deepfakes generated by AI. Molly never seems to notice these events or innovations.
If anyone is a sock puppet in these reviews, it’s you. I’d bet anything that you didn’t even read the book, did you Blake?
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