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Comment by olah_1 | Hacker News Reader

> when it's quite literally modelled after his feudalist beliefs

Okay, but aren't most P2P networks modelled like this? You have client-servers, relays, and super-relays.

The only difference is the amount of buy-in required to run a relay or super-relay. But the amount of buy-in can also be compared to the cost to run an Eth2 node. It's a proof-of-stake network, essentially.

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Yes. It's modeled after a republic, in contrast to today's dominant models, which are, in fact, either feudal or corporate (monarchical).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_governance

The problem with Urbit used to be that each node was permanently bound to a single parent and "lords" had too much control over their "subjects", including things like kicking them out of the Urbitverse. That was changed so AFAIK it's no longer a concern. Most P2P systems are completely different because nodes can use any relay and relaying is separate from identity.

> Most P2P systems are completely different because nodes can use any relay and relaying is separate from identity.

A planet has just one Star that sponsors them in Urbit, but as a planet, you can choose to leave your Star and move to a different Star.

So you can also choose a different relay in Urbit. And yes, your Planet address is spawned by a Star, but you do fully own your address. It is separate in the sense that you can move it elsewhere.

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