Trust scorecard

We increasingly don't trust the apps we use - or the ppl/governments that directly or covertly influence them.Decentralization - especially in social media - is rising in popularity. But not all "decentralization" is the same.

Here are some Qs to ask:

1/ Account mgmt:

a) How do you create and delete an account?
b) where are accounts "stored"?
c) Who has power to delete or act on accounts?

2/ Namespace architecture:

a/ Is it one global namespace or different "sub-spaces" (regions, subreddits, groups, etc)?
b/ how do usernames work across the above? Do you get to take your username across each space?
c) How do renames work?

3/ Moderation Transparency:

a) what transparency do you have on content moderation actions (account suspensions, any algorithmic levers)?
b) what is the recourse process if any?

4/ Algorithmic choice:

What options do you have on influencing the various algorithms used (picking algorithms / building your own)?

5/ Client choice:

What options do you have to use different clients/build your own?

6/ Node architecture:

If split across multiple nodes, Node trust+incentives: what is the incentive schemes for various nodes/relays/intermediaries?
What are the trust assumptions?
How do you resist centralization?

7/ Privacy and data guarantees:

What privacy and data guarantees exist at various levels of the system?

8/ Censorship resistance:

Which actors can censor content and how? (group owners, nodes,...)

9/ Centralization:

Which parts of the service need an opaque centralized service in the middle?

These are not exhaustive - and not even mutually exclusive - but think key to this evolving space as many engineers try and build here.