4 ms·

Are there any solutions? Is it possible to create a new network? How do you champion free speech and then try to control the ugly side? I'd love to read more I

by sosuke 11y ago

Are there any solutions? Is it possible to create a new network? How do you champion free speech and then try to control the ugly side? I'd love to read more I guess.

wcummings 11y ago
Use fewer networked applications :)
giaour 11y ago
Encrypting everything -- HTTP traffic, email, streaming media -- is a good start.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  We need to compensate that with having accessible endpoints - otherwise it means that things like[0] won't be possible. Security can be one of the most effective enemies of the Freedom to Tinker. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10609165 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10609165
  - knieveltech 11y ago
    Accessibility doesn't necessarily have to be the highest priority. BITD folks would jump through ludicrous numbers of hoops just to gain access to the network. Whether or not this limiting factor improved the quality of interactions online is an open question.
- zobzu 11y ago
  When all your encrypted traffic goes through Google and Facebook, it doesn't matter. None of that encryption is end-to-end. It's all you to them. and they, have the control over it, not you.
CookieMon 11y ago
Perhaps such networks already exist? Should I be checking out I2P? I can't be the only one hating how our Internet "town squares" and public spaces have all become commercially owned, centralized, sanitized and surveilled, but where did the old‐guard go? SMTP mailing lists, IRC and Usenet have the decentralization down, but are beyond dated, and not a good way to interact. Anyone know where cypherpunks hang out now? Perhaps they found a place, or made one.
- TeMPOraL 11y ago
  Mailing lists and IRC are still in good shape. I don't know about hardcore cypherpunks, but Hackerspaces tend to use both. It's not that they're not a good way to interact, it's more that the clients didn't follow with the times and didn't get all flashy and streamlined. You can use mailing lists fine even from GMail (as I do, still haven't figured out how to make it work with Emacs), but it's not so convenient as Basecamp. You can use IRC in pretty much whatever, but it's not as flashy as Slack. It used to be that you could find mailing groups and even IRC in the internal networks of companies. But sadly, there are now SaaS products targeting those, and companies are switching because get one piece of infrastructure less to maintain. Also, I think Skype and similar is what really killed IRC at work. Companies use a lot of voice communications - what used to be phone teleconferences is now VOIP - and since everyone has to have a VOIP app installed, it's easier to just use its internal group chat for communication.
scurvy 11y ago
Let me ask, why try to control the ugly side? Let it run just as free as the good stuff, and allow people to select what they want.
- pjc50 11y ago
  You don't get to opt out of people falsely calling SWAT teams to your house.
  - mdpopescu 11y ago
    Maybe the problem is the existence of SWAT teams?
    - JustSomeNobody 11y ago
      Seriously?
    - pjc50 11y ago
      That was an example; the general problem of people whipping up a mob, hate campaign, harrasment or slander against someone remains as something the victim cannot easily opt out of. Even if they try to go off-net completely. (Trigger-happy policing is certainly its own problem)
      - mdpopescu 11y ago
        Yes; the mob mentality is unfortunately something much harder to fix than even trigger-happy governments. (I am thinking about the recent hoopla about Trump's remarks. For me, the problem isn't what HE is saying - the problem is the fact that he finds people who agree with him.)

by sosuke 11y ago

Are there any solutions? Is it possible to create a new network? How do you champion free speech and then try to control the ugly side? I'd love to read more I guess.

wcummings 11y ago

Use fewer networked applications :)

giaour 11y ago

Encrypting everything -- HTTP traffic, email, streaming media -- is a good start.

TeMPOraL 11y ago
We need to compensate that with having accessible endpoints - otherwise it means that things like[0] won't be possible. Security can be one of the most effective enemies of the Freedom to Tinker. [0] - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10609165 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10609165
- knieveltech 11y ago
  Accessibility doesn't necessarily have to be the highest priority. BITD folks would jump through ludicrous numbers of hoops just to gain access to the network. Whether or not this limiting factor improved the quality of interactions online is an open question.
zobzu 11y ago
When all your encrypted traffic goes through Google and Facebook, it doesn't matter. None of that encryption is end-to-end. It's all you to them. and they, have the control over it, not you.

CookieMon 11y ago

Perhaps such networks already exist? Should I be checking out I2P? I can't be the only one hating how our Internet "town squares" and public spaces have all become commercially owned, centralized, sanitized and surveilled, but where did the old‐guard go? SMTP mailing lists, IRC and Usenet have the decentralization down, but are beyond dated, and not a good way to interact. Anyone know where cypherpunks hang out now? Perhaps they found a place, or made one.

TeMPOraL 11y ago
Mailing lists and IRC are still in good shape. I don't know about hardcore cypherpunks, but Hackerspaces tend to use both. It's not that they're not a good way to interact, it's more that the clients didn't follow with the times and didn't get all flashy and streamlined. You can use mailing lists fine even from GMail (as I do, still haven't figured out how to make it work with Emacs), but it's not so convenient as Basecamp. You can use IRC in pretty much whatever, but it's not as flashy as Slack. It used to be that you could find mailing groups and even IRC in the internal networks of companies. But sadly, there are now SaaS products targeting those, and companies are switching because get one piece of infrastructure less to maintain. Also, I think Skype and similar is what really killed IRC at work. Companies use a lot of voice communications - what used to be phone teleconferences is now VOIP - and since everyone has to have a VOIP app installed, it's easier to just use its internal group chat for communication.

scurvy 11y ago

Let me ask, why try to control the ugly side? Let it run just as free as the good stuff, and allow people to select what they want.

pjc50 11y ago
You don't get to opt out of people falsely calling SWAT teams to your house.
- mdpopescu 11y ago
  Maybe the problem is the existence of SWAT teams?
  - JustSomeNobody 11y ago
    Seriously?
  - pjc50 11y ago
    That was an example; the general problem of people whipping up a mob, hate campaign, harrasment or slander against someone remains as something the victim cannot easily opt out of. Even if they try to go off-net completely. (Trigger-happy policing is certainly its own problem)
    - mdpopescu 11y ago
      Yes; the mob mentality is unfortunately something much harder to fix than even trigger-happy governments. (I am thinking about the recent hoopla about Trump's remarks. For me, the problem isn't what HE is saying - the problem is the fact that he finds people who agree with him.)