For awhile in 2018-2019, they were offering 1 free Terabyte of storage for testers who wanted to tinker around with Datum Drive. However, with thier site's Main-net now down for the foreseeable future, it is unsure if Datum will make a comeback or not.
And with good reason. In my testing with Datum's Drive app from their GitHub, under commit code e4501aa. It is extremely finicky and broken. Albeit this is to be expected with Alpha apps and code-works, it was nigh usable.
It would clone my files if I put in, say, only one text document, when dropped into Datum's decentralized "servers". There would be consecutive copies that dragged the app's performance even more down the tubes. Safe to say, considering the repo for Datum Drive hasn't received any commits since 2019, that the project is more or less dead, especially considering the status of their BlockExplorer API, or referred to from here-on-out, the "Main-net".
Not that it was all bad, however. The project actually had many key features that we expect with decentralization. Such as, a 24 word pass-phrase. I really enjoyed this feature. Additionally, because it was pretty secure, supporting built-in encryption, but to a privacy-focused individual such as myself, it was a much better alternative to Google Drive. Aside from the broken code, and inability to use the app because of it's now defunct Main-net.
Having personally tried the Windows app, and the mobile app as well, the GUI was very eloquent. But alas, the project was not meant to stand the test of time. It is unsure why any progresses were made toward perfecting it's code, and basis on the blockchain.
With that said, to recap, It's unlikely a ponzi scheme (similar to a pyramid scheme, more often than not involving malicious intent to scam users for monetary gain) and it simply was a dead project out of the water. Sad too, because we could use a good alternative to Sia and it's decentralized file storage.
In conclusion, Datum was a bold project, but didn't have the support to continue it's services (for now)... Maybe we'll see something similar in the future for the world of decentralization and privacy-focus.
See you in the next article!
