[zol]

> Having all the data of the entire network on all the Big-World Servers. That's what you need to do if you want to crunch the data, make it searchable, and provide algorithms that help you discover new content and new people to follow.

How is this all possible if the data is encrypted? Also, what’s the economic incentive for building and maintaining the software that runs on the servers?

[bohm]

The posts and likes are all public. Some servers can charge users, and will likely have more resources to improve their offerings that way.

[zol]

> A centralized service runs on computers wholly under control of a single entity. They can change, monitor, amplify and bury all information. They can read your private messages. They can delete content, promote other content, and even impersonate you.

Apart from reading your private messages, does that mean you still need to trust that the server you’re connected to isn’t doing all those other things?

[bohm]

Nope. You own your keys, and you can switch to a different server instantly while retaining both your username and your followers. They can't impersonate you because they don't have your keys. They can't ready your messages because they don't have your keys.

It's a bit more complex underneath (e.g. the are light-clients that you can entrust with part of your key), but that's the gist.