5 Basics Things You Should Know About P2P Social Networking

Peer to peer social networking is a system that allows a decentralized collection of users to engage with each other. This system strips away many of the most problematic features of traditional social networks. If this sounds appealing to you, it's a good idea to learn some of the basics. Here are 5 things all users should know about building a peer to peer social network.

Distribution Makes It Better

All P2P technologies work better as more nodes buy-in. If a person invites several of their friends to use the same peer to peer social network, those users end up contributing resources to it. This applies even when they're doing nothing, as long as they have their computers or mobile devices up and running. The net effect is that the P2P form of social networking is very scalable.

Control

Every end-user in a P2P social network has control over their data and files. Particularly for folks who find traditional social networking concerning, this approach is of interest. If you want all of your data removed from the network in a P2P model, all you have to do is delete it.

Similarly, you don't have to trust a third party to take care of your information. Consequently, you can relax knowing that no one else will be buying or selling your data.

Integration

The standard peer to peer social networking protocol is designed for integration. If you wish to embed it with a website or an app, you'll have no trouble moving in that direction. Protocols are becoming highly standardized, too, so everyone will be able to interoperate with people across many different combinations of devices.

Security

Especially in the social networking sphere, there are plenty of folks trying to access your system. Whether you're worried about hackers, aggressive governments, or nosey corporations attempting to interrupt your network, it's good to know your system will be secure from end to end. 

Portability

Moving your data from one social media platform to another is typically painful. With a peer to peer social network, all you have to do is lift stakes and connect with another network. It seems like a small deal, but you'll be amazed by how valuable it is to move tons of data and without worrying that it all won't carry over to the next site you settle on. Chaniging platforms can make a major difference if you find that the platform your're on currently isn't working well for you.