The network effect
The previous article outlined the problem Boundless seeks to overcome, providing essential context.
The origin
A long time ago when the phone network was not interoperable, if you bought a phone on the AT&T network, you could not speak to people on other networks. Namely, people would have to buy an AT&T phone to speak to AT&T customers. This made it naturally attractive for everyone to use AT&T.
This is the network effect, and it’s why social networks tend to coalesce and grow into a few key platforms rather than a fragmented ecosystem of smaller networks.
Application to virtual worlds
Today, if you want to contact somebody on Facebook, you need Facebook to do so. This is how social networks defend their intellectual property. Companies in the virtual world space understand this clearly.
“The first metaverse that gains real traction is likely to the be the last,” Rubin wrote. “We must act first, and go big, or we risk being one of those wannabes.” - CNBC
- Meta executive Jason Rubin
The potential for the network effect to cause virtual experiences to coalesce under a single banner is a frightening prospect and one that must be prevented at all costs. If a single company manages the platform in which all digital connections and transactions happen, the potential for exploitation will be immense.
The next article explains our plan to deal with these issues, see: Boundless: Synapse.