What does 'decentralization' mean?

You know that thing that happens when you repeat a word so often that it starts to feel like spent bubble-gum in your mouth, all rubbery and tasteless and devoid of meaning?

This hasn’t quite to me happened yet with the word ‘decentralization’ but it’s getting there. I thought I’d start this thread to try and crowdsource a decentralized definition of the word ‘decentralization’! Feel free to comment below with thoughts and musings on any of the following:

  • What is decentralization?
  • What is not decentralization?
  • Why is decentralization interesting/exciting to you?
  • Whom does decentralization benefit?
  • Whom does decentralization harm?
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This chart comes from Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin’s medium post “The Meaning of Decentralization”

How would you fill in the blank boxes?

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I have had a similar chart on my whiteboard for months with regards to protocols:

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