Freedom Box Foundation Wants Plug Servers For All

An anonymous reader writes "From the NYTimes.com article: 'A Columbia law professor in Manhattan, Eben Moglen, [is] putting together a shopping list to rebuild the Internet — this time, without governments and big companies able to watch every twitch of our fingers. ... Put free software into the little plug server in the wall, and you would have a Freedom Box that would decentralize information and power, Mr. Moglen said. This month, he created the Freedom Box Foundation to organize the software.'"

Comments

"Running a server" in violation of AUP

[tepples]

"Once everyone is getting them, they will cost $29." -- Eben Moglen

And then everyone will get to watch their Internet bills double or triple as the ISP discovers that they're "running a server" in violation of the ISP's acceptable use policy and "helpfully" upgrades their service to business class.

Re:"Running a server" in violation of AUP

[tepples]

You can run a server with any ISP, but you can't use this server for BUSINESS if you have a residential plan

That's not what the acceptable use policies that I've read state. From Comcast Xfinity Internet AUP:

prohibited uses and activities include, but are not limited to, using the Service, Customer Equipment, or the Comcast Equipment, either individually or in combination with one another, to: [...] use or run dedicated, stand-alone equipment or servers from the Premises that provide network content or any other services to anyone outside of your Premises local area network (“Premises LAN”), also commonly referred to as public services or servers. Examples of prohibited equipment and servers include, but are not limited to, e-mail, Web hosting, file sharing, and proxy services and servers;

From Verizon DSL and FiOS Internet AUP:

You also may not exceed the bandwidth usage limitations that Verizon may establish from time to time for the Service, or use the Service to host any type of server.

Re:"Running a server" in violation of AUP

[msauve]

Well, FCC rules trump their contract. Their recent net neutrality findings, which were broadly criticized here, won't allow ISPs to discriminate against servers:

Rule 1: Transparency
A person engaged in the provision of broadband Internet access service shall publicly disclose accurate information regarding the network management practices, performance, and commercial terms of its broadband Internet access services sufficient for consumers to make informed choices regarding use of such services and for content, application, service, and device providers to develop, market, and maintain Internet offerings.
Rule 2: No Blocking
A person engaged in the provision of fixed broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not block lawful content, applications, services, or non-harmful devices, subject to reasonable network management.
A person engaged in the provision of mobile broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not block consumers from accessing lawful websites, subject to reasonable network management; nor shall such person block applications that compete with the provider’s voice or video telephony services, subject to reasonable network management. Rule 3: No Unreasonable Discrimination
A person engaged in the provision of fixed broadband Internet access service, insofar as such person is so engaged, shall not unreasonably discriminate in transmitting lawful network traffic over a consumer’s broadband Internet access service. Reasonable network management shall not constitute unreasonable discrimination.

Re:"Running a server" in violation of AUP

[c6gunner]

Yes. I tried running a home server. And all I got was this lousy service cancellation.

Re:"Running a server" in violation of AUP

[grub]

"We see you're running a ping server and have updated you to Business Class."

The plan

[Sarten-X]

1. Make a bunch of tiny servers.
2. ???
3. Freedom!

How will they communicate?

[Gonoff]

There will need to be some other way for them to network than through ISPs. They are the bottleneck. Perhaps, some sort of mesh network?

Otherwise, Your ISP takes exception to a server running on your domestic network - despite the fact that a large amount of people on /. do just that. Even if they allow that, they can limit what goes across their wires - in times of emergency perhaps no encrypted traffic or HTTPS.

You are going to either have to live in high density housing or figure out how to fit microwave relays all over the suburbs.

Re:Rebuild the Internet... how exactly?

[ElectricTurtle]

Having seen some of Eben's lectures, I recall his angle is that the problem is that companies/government agencies control the servers, and thus control your data and data on you. He want's people to run their own email/document/media/social networking services on platforms that network with each other rather than monolithic, centrally controlled servers (be they in private or public hands). The idea is not some much a different 'network', that's still in the hands of ISPs, but a different, decentralized approach to services that handle personal data etc.

Re:err. what.

[sjvn]

Here's my fuller story on what Moglen and company have in mind:

Freedom Box: Freeing the Internet one Server at a time
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/networking/freedom-box-freeing-the-internet-one-server-at-a-time/698

The short version is that the idea is to make it possible for you to use the Internet as freely and privately as possible no matter what restrictions governments, businesses or ISPs have in mind.

It still won't help if your government does an Egypt and pulls the plug, but short of that, it has real possibilities.

Steven

Watch Eben Moglen's FOSDEM keynote

[A beautiful mind]

I was in the audience when he explained the concept. The comments and the article I've seen so far does it no justice. Just watch the video.