Welcome back to the IPFS Information Solutions Series! If you haven’t read Parts I through III, I encourage you to check them out before continuing. In Part III, we discussed the concept of a decentralized book club, highlighting the heart of IPFS: decentralization. Decentralization changes ownership and control from a single entity to multiple points. In IPFS, these multiple points are called nodes, where data is stored.

When it comes to knowledge sharing and data transfer, technology has made incredible progress. Technological advancements also include internet connectivity, communication tools, and information storage and retrieval systems. However, global accessibility of distributing information is still limited by a number of the complexities we covered earlier in the series. To briefly recap, information is not equally accessible to people of all geographies or socioeconomic statuses, partly due to developing regions lacking the necessary infrastructure to provide affordable internet access.

Limited information distribution can further perpetuate existing inequalities and widen the digital divide. The digital divide refers to the gap between those who have access to modern information and communication technology and those who do not. Unequal access to information can perpetuate disparities in education, economic opportunities, and other aspects of life.

Despite many advancements, ensuring the accuracy of information remains an ongoing struggle as well. Writing this in December, I can only think of the many warnings about misinformation and scams around the holidays, illustrating the difficulty in filtering through large amounts of data for reliable and relevant information. Information overload can lead to carelessness and, at times, unintended propagation of false information. There are also ethical considerations around how transparent information is and protection from harmful misinformation.

These complexities seem vast and challenging, but thankfully, IPFS is already playing a role in addressing these challenges and many more.

Decentralized Infrastructure:

IPFS is a decentralized system, which means it doesn’t rely on a centralized server controlled by a single entity. Traditionally, accessing information on the internet involved connecting to centralized servers that store and deliver the requested content. Access to this information could be limited by the user’s proximity to the servers and the strength of the internet infrastructure.

With decentralization, information can then be accessed without expensive infrastructure, instead using peer-to-peer networks to share information directly. In a peer-to-peer network, the nodes communicate directly without the need for a centralized server.

Global Accessibility:

Peer-to-peer networks also enable information to be shared more efficiently. Instead of all information coming from the centralized server, content is retrieved from the nearest node in the network.  As content is passed from node to node, it leaves a cache on the node, which makes it faster and more pervasive each time, reducing access times. This can be especially beneficial to regions with limited internet infrastructure.

Reducing the Digital Divide:

Referring to the digital divide, the challenge is that information accessibility is not uniform around the world. With decentralization, those in remote regions can share and access information. This contributes to a more equitable distribution of information overall. If some nodes go offline, information is still accessible through other nodes in the network. By information being accessible through other nodes, localized disruptions have less of a risk of continuing inequalities in information access.

Data Integrity and Trust:

IPFS uses CIDs (content identifiers). CIDs are unique labels mapped to each piece of data or information shared through IPFS. Altering data results in a different CID, which helps prove information is what it is supposed to be.

Pinata’s main goal is to simplify IPFS, which we do through our Dedicated Gateways and Storage. You can also refer to our Docs for more information on how to get started with IPFS.

IPFS hopes to bridge some of the global information gaps by ensuring information is not stored in the control of a few. IPFS’s distributed nature inherently enhances data integrity. The system provides built-in redundancy by breaking information into smaller chunks stored across nodes, minimizing the risk of data corruption or loss. This helps ensure accuracy and reliability.

The IPFS community continues to evolve and address these concerns. As an IPFS pinning service, we are committed to IPFS and technology advocacy. We consistently write about and document IPFS and its applications to increase IPFS adoption and make it more understandable and accessible. Pinata doesn’t just provide a service; we embrace the shift in how information can be shared and accessed. Try Pinata for free.