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Except, the future is already there: our bandwidth is asymmetric, running our own server is increasingly impossible, and the Internet becomes more and more cent

Except, the future is already there: our bandwidth is asymmetric, running our own server is increasingly impossible, and the Internet becomes more and more centralized, like good old closed networks like AOL. The iPad is the symbol of that trend, but otherwise is tiny, irrelevant, even.

glhaynes 17y ago
I dunno, with services like EC2 I feel like there's far more opportunity available to me on the internet than there was a decade ago. I agree inasmuch as it feels different in some ways, though.
- loup-vaillant 17y ago
  Using EC2 makes you the exception, not the rule (and by the way, I would prefer to have a server at home). Most people don't use EC2 (let alone a personal server). They use Blogger. Most people don't send mail. They ask Gmail to that for them. The internet used to be a bunch of interconnected machines doing peer to peer communication. Now, we have a few servers and many many clients. So the future already there. I believe we could reverse the trend and go back to a sane, mostly decentralized, internet, but it will require a collective effort.
Psyonic 17y ago
"running our own server is increasingly impossible" Do tell... it seems quite easy and affordable to run your own server now. A VPS can be had for under $50 a month, and if you really need the whole machine, $200 would probably do it. What am I missing?
- loup-vaillant 17y ago
  This is not running your own server. Your own server should be at your own home, under your own control. That way, if the Police want to have a look at your server it has to subpoena you, directly. That way, data you want remotely accessible won't be in the hand of any third party. That way, mail you send is actually send by you. Eben Moglen said it best: http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2010/feb/01/freedom-cloud-software-freedom-privacy-and-securit/ http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2010/feb/01/freedom-clou...
  - Psyonic 17y ago
    I see what you mean. I've never looked into it, so I can't say, but I imagine you're right that it would be quite expensive to do so.
    - loup-vaillant 17y ago
      Currently, the cost is $100 for a good plug computer [1], and 2W for having it plugged and on all the time. That's more than enough to host your mail and web server, Tor node, file sharing clients… If only you ISP would open all ports and give you symmetric bandwidth. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug_computer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug_computer
      - Psyonic 17y ago
        ya I didn't think the computer would be the expensive part. It was getting the fully open connection with decent symmetric bandwidth. Although I believe some places where they have fiber to the home, the ISP's will allow you to do so.

glhaynes 17y ago

I dunno, with services like EC2 I feel like there's far more opportunity available to me on the internet than there was a decade ago. I agree inasmuch as it feels different in some ways, though.

loup-vaillant 17y ago
Using EC2 makes you the exception, not the rule (and by the way, I would prefer to have a server at home). Most people don't use EC2 (let alone a personal server). They use Blogger. Most people don't send mail. They ask Gmail to that for them. The internet used to be a bunch of interconnected machines doing peer to peer communication. Now, we have a few servers and many many clients. So the future already there. I believe we could reverse the trend and go back to a sane, mostly decentralized, internet, but it will require a collective effort.

Psyonic 17y ago

"running our own server is increasingly impossible" Do tell... it seems quite easy and affordable to run your own server now. A VPS can be had for under $50 a month, and if you really need the whole machine, $200 would probably do it. What am I missing?

loup-vaillant 17y ago
This is not running your own server. Your own server should be at your own home, under your own control. That way, if the Police want to have a look at your server it has to subpoena you, directly. That way, data you want remotely accessible won't be in the hand of any third party. That way, mail you send is actually send by you. Eben Moglen said it best: http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2010/feb/01/freedom-cloud-software-freedom-privacy-and-securit/ http://www.softwarefreedom.org/news/2010/feb/01/freedom-clou...
- Psyonic 17y ago
  I see what you mean. I've never looked into it, so I can't say, but I imagine you're right that it would be quite expensive to do so.
  - loup-vaillant 17y ago
    Currently, the cost is $100 for a good plug computer [1], and 2W for having it plugged and on all the time. That's more than enough to host your mail and web server, Tor node, file sharing clients… If only you ISP would open all ports and give you symmetric bandwidth. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug_computer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plug_computer
    - Psyonic 17y ago
      ya I didn't think the computer would be the expensive part. It was getting the fully open connection with decent symmetric bandwidth. Although I believe some places where they have fiber to the home, the ISP's will allow you to do so.