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So it's more like HTTP than an open source Skype. How is that spec managed and controlled?

By a nonprofit foundation. The clients are tested against each other, and the spec is modified if there are any discrepancies due to misunderstandings.

If the community ever loses confidence in the foundation's leadership it can transition to another arrangement.

But Bitcoin has a foundation as well

They aren't too official, and there has been controversy recently over how much power they have.

What I'm getting at is how is Ethereum immune to the social factors currently plaguing Bitcoin? I don't see anything except "trust us".

I thought my comment amounted to more than "trust us." Development is less centralized, since Ethereum is defined by a spec and there are seven independent implementations, and proof of stake aligns incentives better than mining.

But I'd only claim it's more resistant, not immune.

The reason I likened it to HTTP is because of the browser wars and how the big players can influence the spec. Now we're talking about money and the same possibility of big players emerging.

It sounds like what you're saying is "yes, big players will emerge but something will keep them in check." What is that thing?

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