inignoct wrote:
] why can't there be a few different central-server based
] networks? There are different ways of doing the same thing,
] and optimizations that could be made for particular classes of
] information.

Well, it boils down to differentiation. Search engines are simple, and therefore there is a clear market leader. Its hard to be different in a way that isn't better across the board. Altavista indexes more content then google, so sometimes I use it, but rarely.

In the music space there are probably lots more ways to differentiate yourself.

I wasn't seriously arguing this point so much as the general idea that centralized is better for this. Decentralized is how you fight censorship. It will matter to the extent that censorship is in play.

] of course, the whole thing hinges on the adoption of
] compulsory licencing, which is a whole bag of uncertainty and
] technical trouble.

I think the point is still worth noting...

RE: LawMeme - Compulsory Licensing - The Death of Gnutella and the Triumph of Google