The "real" (i.e. without central authority) internet isn't over HTTP. It hasn't been for some time now, and all of the web3 stuff lately is the result of that latent sentiment bubbling up for the last 30 years.
The core issue is that alternate options for maintaining a generally accessible presence rely on squatting traditional infrastructure -- TOR, freenet, i2p, urbit, etc. all rely on some sort of cloaked communication over the standard global network hierarchy, and can at any time be blocked on a packet level if the established entities wish it. These blocks can be circumvented, and so far they have been, but freedom is generally on the defensive here.
What is the solution? Meshnets are the only thing that come to mind, but they're not a feasible thing to construct, especially with a niche userbase.
These blocks can be circumvented, and so far they have been, but freedom is generally on the defensive here.
This weakness has become especially apparent in recent years when governments react to civil unrest or protests by shutting off the internet. Signal doesn't help much when the data pipes stop flowing.
I recall hearing about another privacy-focused messaging app that could be used peer-to-peer with Bluetooth, though I cannot recall its name. Edit: I think it was Briar? Not something I'm familiar with.
Mesh networks are easy to destroy as the only scalable solution is wireless and that is obviously weak against localized jamming.
A protest or other meatspace collective organized through a mesh net would be cut off and disrupted to the point where the network would be viewed as unreliable. Kids on horses are far more reliable.
Mesh networks to share information broadly are susceptible to misinformation campaigns, partisan politics, and the simple problem of covering vast distances with pedestrian tech. AM Radio is far more reliable.
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The "real" (i.e. without central authority) internet isn't over HTTP. It hasn't been for some time now, and all of the web3 stuff lately is the result of that latent sentiment bubbling up for the last 30 years.
The core issue is that alternate options for maintaining a generally accessible presence rely on squatting traditional infrastructure -- TOR, freenet, i2p, urbit, etc. all rely on some sort of cloaked communication over the standard global network hierarchy, and can at any time be blocked on a packet level if the established entities wish it. These blocks can be circumvented, and so far they have been, but freedom is generally on the defensive here.
What is the solution? Meshnets are the only thing that come to mind, but they're not a feasible thing to construct, especially with a niche userbase.
This weakness has become especially apparent in recent years when governments react to civil unrest or protests by shutting off the internet. Signal doesn't help much when the data pipes stop flowing.
I recall hearing about another privacy-focused messaging app that could be used peer-to-peer with Bluetooth, though I cannot recall its name. Edit: I think it was Briar? Not something I'm familiar with.
App might have been https://scuttlebutt.nz/ off the grid focused p2p messaging system.
I just came across "something p2p with Bluetooth" called Berty, though didn't get much further than bookmarking it for later.
Mesh networks are easy to destroy as the only scalable solution is wireless and that is obviously weak against localized jamming.
A protest or other meatspace collective organized through a mesh net would be cut off and disrupted to the point where the network would be viewed as unreliable. Kids on horses are far more reliable.
Mesh networks to share information broadly are susceptible to misinformation campaigns, partisan politics, and the simple problem of covering vast distances with pedestrian tech. AM Radio is far more reliable.