Maybe I didn't come across very well saying that. I like a challenge, but if I was up against I don't think there'd be much scope for entertainment. YMMV.
Yes, it would be a restriction of freedom if these companies were prevented from placing ads on their own site. Free speech entails certain responsibilities. I'll rely on the shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theatre argument to explain that one. If a door-to-door salesman doesn't have the right to wander round your house trying to advertise, what gives spammers the right to invade your PC? Okay, that's not a very good analogy - the fact remains that there are (at least today) limits to how free speech really is.
So what if people cheat? It's a game of reputation. If someone beats me hands down, I'm not going to play them again because it won't be any fun - regardless of whether they cheated or are just really good. Although the trust models are a bit different (you have to go by past experience and reliable sources) there is enough similarity with the real world for these things to work.
This implementation may be just proof of concept, but the possibility is there for some really interesting interactive applications of Freenet.
What Freenet provides in this model is simply a balloon and honeypot ("So it does!" said Pooh. "It goes in!" "So it does!" said Piglet. "And it comes out!" ) which I think most people are aware is all that Freenet is at the moment (and unfortunately it currently seems to have a rather big hole in the bottom of the honey put to boot).
That doesn't sound like the Freenet I know. There is actual content floating around, and I don't just mean porn. Take Snarfoo
and Content
of EVIL for example, to name but two.
You will have to be running fproxy for those links to work, btw.
I was just thinking there is nothing stopping the client/server verifying inserts like GJ's BBS/chat system. I've tried it, it works. The more people (and by people I mean node operators) Freenet attracts, the faster and more reliable it becomes. I've certainly noticed an increase in reliability even over the time I've been running a node.
They also have a working apt-get
implementation, mail (configuration
instructions), news, chat and DNS. Most of it's still in CVS at the moment, but they are the basics of an entire anonymous communications system.
Various other pieces of software have been developed, notably freeweb and Snarfzilla,
to help with freesite insertion and/or browsing for stuff.
HTH
The point is that Freenet allows you to create a virtual entity (or "nym" as they call it) totally untraceable to you, by using SVKs and such. For example, one of the visitors to a freesite might want to play the owner at chess. They both might want to play honestly, but without revealing each other's identity. Freenet seems to be becoming more and more like an anonymous, uncensorable WWW.
Since there is no centralised namespace, there isn't really anything to get corrupted. Plus, there is no permanence in Freenet, so the files only stay around for as long as they are requested (eg, the First In-Freenet International Chess Championship might hang around for a while, but a quick private game probably won't). Also a large amount of requests is very good for Freenet - more activity means more organisation and faster responses. Basically, a very good thing.
They had thought of using freenet. Split the file into chunks and post the keys to the beta testers. That way the file goes across the atlantic once. Probably.
D'oh - that's what happens when you turn cookies off
The first revision will be available tomorrow (sunday). I have limited disk space/bandwidth so only the important bits are mirrored (atm only the 2.4 kernels).
This article seems to fall into the category of "Linux in Business" more than a general-interest Linux story. What the managers don't seem to realise is that non-commerical distros like Debian and, to a lesser extent, Slackware (which is good enough to be non-commercial;-) can survive with just one maintainer. The commercial distros like Red Hat will die if there is no commercial interest or too much competition. Think of the power of free software, guys! It applies to distros too - Linux or any of its non-commercial distros will survive as long as there is sustained interest by hobbyists and hackers.
Slashdot Mirror
Maybe I didn't come across very well saying that. I like a challenge, but if I was up against I don't think there'd be much scope for entertainment. YMMV.
Yes, it would be a restriction of freedom if these companies were prevented from placing ads on their own site. Free speech entails certain responsibilities. I'll rely on the shouting "Fire!" in a crowded theatre argument to explain that one. If a door-to-door salesman doesn't have the right to wander round your house trying to advertise, what gives spammers the right to invade your PC? Okay, that's not a very good analogy - the fact remains that there are (at least today) limits to how free speech really is.
This implementation may be just proof of concept, but the possibility is there for some really interesting interactive applications of Freenet.
That doesn't sound like the Freenet I know. There is actual content floating around, and I don't just mean porn. Take Snarfoo and Content of EVIL for example, to name but two.
You will have to be running fproxy for those links to work, btw.
I was just thinking there is nothing stopping the client/server verifying inserts like GJ's BBS/chat system. I've tried it, it works. The more people (and by people I mean node operators) Freenet attracts, the faster and more reliable it becomes. I've certainly noticed an increase in reliability even over the time I've been running a node.
Various other pieces of software have been developed, notably freeweb and Snarfzilla, to help with freesite insertion and/or browsing for stuff. HTH
The point is that Freenet allows you to create a virtual entity (or "nym" as they call it) totally untraceable to you, by using SVKs and such. For example, one of the visitors to a freesite might want to play the owner at chess. They both might want to play honestly, but without revealing each other's identity. Freenet seems to be becoming more and more like an anonymous, uncensorable WWW.
Dear root,
Go left.
Aim up.
Select rocket launcher.
Fire.
Until next week,
Joe Fragger.
Since there is no centralised namespace, there isn't really anything to get corrupted. Plus, there is no permanence in Freenet, so the files only stay around for as long as they are requested (eg, the First In-Freenet International Chess Championship might hang around for a while, but a quick private game probably won't). Also a large amount of requests is very good for Freenet - more activity means more organisation and faster responses. Basically, a very good thing.
The article is available in Freenet as freenet:KSK@gaming.html. Oh, yeah - that's another thing Freenet is good at ;-)
D'oh - that's what happens when you turn cookies off
I've started a Freenet semi-mirror of kernel.org, updated daily, under the key freenet:MSK@SSK@KSDtt1zYB9y4UAJPoSqKgb8eEbUQAgE/ke rnels//
The first revision will be available tomorrow (sunday). I have limited disk space/bandwidth so only the important bits are mirrored (atm only the 2.4 kernels).
Now this is funny. Well done, Simon Cozens.
freenet:KSK@linux/kernel/v2.4/linux-2.4.3.tar.bz2
Just try slashdotting that!
Check out freenet at http://freenet.sourceforge.net/
This article seems to fall into the category of "Linux in Business" more than a general-interest Linux story. What the managers don't seem to realise is that non-commerical distros like Debian and, to a lesser extent, Slackware (which is good enough to be non-commercial ;-) can survive with just one maintainer. The commercial distros like Red Hat will die if there is no commercial interest or too much competition. Think of the power of free software, guys! It applies to distros too - Linux or any of its non-commercial distros will survive as long as there is sustained interest by hobbyists and hackers.