OrbitDB, and the underlying IPFS layer, are currently alpha software. There have already been high-severity bugs, API-breaking changes, and security disclosures, and there are more ahead. This is generally transparently communicated, yet these warnings have not stopped large organizations from using these tools in production.
If that sounds bad, don't worry. It gets worse.
Not only are these tools alpha, but the entire decentralized industry is in an alpha state. There are unsolved problems not just technical in nature but also legal, political, economic, and societal. The wave of the personal computer revolution crashed on the shores of the information age, the wave of the mobile revolution crashed on the shores of the social age, and now we're here, riding the crest of the wave of decentralization. We don't know where we're going to land yet, but we know it's gonna be a bumpy ride. Get your life jackets on.
You may hear claims of what type of age might follow this, but it's truly impossible to tell. Whatever it may be, it's probably safe to say that the world will not be ready for it. It is our hope that you find this challenging and exciting, but don't be surprised by feeling a healthy dose of trepidation, and even downright horror at times.
That all being said: welcome to the first days of our distributed future.
Next up is Part 1: The OrbitDB Tutorial. This is a long form tutorial that will introduce a new coder to all the important aspects of OrbitDB. If you are not a coder and simply wish to understand the nature of decentralization and peer-to-peer technologies, check out Part 2: Thinking Peer-to-Peer or Part 4: What's Next?.