[archagon]

This is why I believe in CRDTs: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17221221

With the right spec, you can have Google Docs style real-time collaboration or Slack style chat while allowing users to own and archive their data, remaining resilient under arbitrary network conditions and topologies, and retaining full edit history with the option to link to any previous revisions or even individual changes (with context). The system could be built on top of databases, files, or both. Your "*.crdt" documents could live in your Dropbox and work seamlessly with any software that understands the spec.

It'll take some work to get there, though. And of course, it'll never be as resource-efficient as a centralized architecture. But today’s devices can more than handle the strain.