Is “acceptably non-dystopian” self-sovereign identity even possible?
The problem I have with blockchain enthusiasts, after talking with them about their philosophy, is that they seem to consider trust a bug, and believe that ideal world is achievable with straitjackets of technical solutions that eliminate trust.<p>Trust is a feature, not a bug. If trust is violated by rogue agents, it is because they exist[0], not because trust itself is a folly.<p>However, blockchain-adjacent initiatives  seem to suggest a future where we implicitly label[1] every human as motivated to hurt another by making all aspects of their activities subject to verification checks.<p>In addition to strong dystopian vibes, won’t this act of labeling everyone as potential threat actually be instrumental in bringing this motivation to everyone, making it a self-fulfilling prophecy?  Aren’t we sort of codifying malicious intent, instead of trying to remove it from the equation? Whom would this serve?<p>There is place for verification in the interim, such as maintaining security of your home, but if we are looking ahead (as blockchain enthusiasts do) we should strive for a future where humans are not motivated to hurt other humans. Not treating it as some sort of default is  a good start.<p>[0] Their core motivation to benefit at others’ expense is to me indicative of mental health issues, possibly caused by insecurity and upbringing trauma.<p>[1] <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Labeling_theory" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.m.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Labeling_theory</a>