Data silos and conceptual doubts

Community
#1

Hello everyone. I’m excited about the mission of Blockstack, and have a conceptual question about the issue of data silos that Blockstack hopes to solve.

To me is seems that user’s data are only the starting point that companies like Facebook and Google ingest. They then augment that data, index it, label it with proprietary features, and only then it becomes meaningful in aggregate.

So If Blockstack offers users ability to own their data, what exactly do users end up owning? Just these initial inputs (personal data, location history for ex) or anything that gets added on top too?

I have doubts that any business would want to process the data, augment it with proprietary features, and then offer it right back to the user? More likely it’s going to be similar to what Facebook currently offers when you choose to download your data. You only going to be getting your original (dumb) inputs, and none of the “learnings” or artefacts that the company got from your data.

Super Interested to hear thoughts on this.

#2

For me, the main benefit is that users are in control. With Blockstack, users can give their data to different companies to augment it.

Users have the choice to publish all short messages on twitter or debut or their personal blog or all three. The calendar data can be processed by the user’s mail email provider or not. The email and calendar service providers can be different entities. There is no disadvantage for one provider to not be a provider for a different data type.