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This is the problem we're working on with https://freenet.org/ https://freenet.org/ - a general purpose platform for building entirely decentralized services.
by sanity 2y ago
This is the problem we're working on with https://freenet.org/ https://freenet.org/ - a general purpose platform for building entirely decentralized services.
Our thesis is that the client-server architecture is a fundamental flaw in the world wide web's design, which inherently concentrates power in the hands of a few. Freenet aims to be a general purpose replacement for this in which all services are entirely decentralized.
The first non-trivial app we're building will be a group chat system called River[1].
[1] https://github.com/freenet/river https://github.com/freenet/river
- EGreg 2y agoI like the new Freenet! I interviewed your founder, Ian Clarke, 2 years ago on my channel — discussing the original freenet, probably the first truly decentralized content network in the world. Here is the 2-hour discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWrRqUkJpMQ&t=12m0s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWrRqUkJpMQ&t=12m0s Look around the 12 minute mark when I start to discuss how “the capitalist system” produces centralized monopoilies that extract rents for their shareholders.
- pjc50 2y agoFreenet is 25 years old. It never took off, what makes people think it will take off now?
- sanity 2y agoThe original Freenet had over 6m downloads over the years - and pioneered ideas like cryptographic contracts which later formed the basis for bitcoin, but it was always a very experimental project, while the new Freenet is designed for mass adoption. They key differences between old and new Freenet are: Functionality: The previous version was analogous to a decentralized hard drive, while the current version is analogous to a full decentralized computer. Real-time Interaction: The current version allows users to subscribe to data and be notified immediately if it changes. This is essential for systems like instant messaging or group chat. Programming Language: Unlike the previous version, which was developed in Java, the current Freenet is implemented in Rust. This allows for better efficiency and integration into a wide variety of platforms (Windows, Mac, Android, MacOS, etc). Transparency: The current version is a drop-in replacement for the world wide web and is just as easy to use. Anonymity: While the previous version was designed with a focus on anonymity, the current version does not offer built-in anonymity but allows for a choice of anonymizing systems to be layered on top.