Traditional file hosting: - Files have arbitrary URLs (like example.com/photos/image123.jpg) - Single point of failure - if the server goes down, files are gone forever - No built-in verification that you received the correct file - Centralized control over content availability Blossom: - Files use hash-based URLs like blossom.primal.net/c1aa63f983a44185d039092912bfb7f33adcf63ed3cae371ebe6905da5f688d0.jpg - Multiple server redundancy - users can specify primary and mirror servers - Automatic verification - the hash ensures you get exactly the file you requested - Seamless failover - apps automatically try backup servers if the primary fails - Censorship resistance - users can switch hosting providers without breaking existing content Practical Benefits: - Verifiable authenticity: The hash in the URL guarantees file integrity - Redundancy: Automatic mirroring across multiple servers prevents data loss - Censorship resistance: Easy server switching without breaking links in existing posts