How would you manage identities in decentralized p2p?

[TankGirl]

Originally posted by donaldducko
Decentralization does not necessarily mean that there cannot be any authority at all, even if not an "outside" one.
Decentralization, to me, means that the functions normally assumed by one central server, or several ones, should simply be taken over by *every* peer in the network.
This means that these functions will have to be inbuilt in the p2p software itself so that it is actually its *own* central server.
Problems like those arising from nicks, queueing, and so on would be treated by the very software you are using on your computer. That, to me, is true "decentralization".
Just eliminating the central server(s) does not make a decentralized network ; it results in an *uncontrolled* network, which is different.

Correct. Like you say, each peer should be able to handle all the basic functional tasks of the network as needed. That way any arbitrary group of peers can initiate a network. As more peers with different capabilities join in, they can agree to take different roles in the network infrastructure (supernodes etc.) to enhance its overall functionality. But even then things like identity management and privacy control should remain in each peer's own full control.

- tg