Discussion:
[GNU/consensus] [Unlike-us-tech] <unlike-us> About D-CENT - fork to unlike-us-tech list
hellekin
2014-10-01 13:36:09 UTC
Permalink
Thanks for posting this Geert.
Scanning this, it seems they're getting many things right.
Also OKF and W3C involvement is a good sign for interoperability.
*** Really?

Here is my opinion: this is planted by the forces of the Status Quo to
keep social networking under control of the prying eyes.

I read, on page 4: "Why open standards? Why not just open-source? For
many programmers, using open-source software - or the more restrictive
"free software" as defined by GPL licensing - is enough."

That is obviously an attack on software freedom. The wording here leaves
no doubt that the author of that paper want to shun free software
(written in quotes!) by calling it restrictive, and pose open-source as
a legitimate, but insufficient "model".

It attributes the failure of the Diaspora* project to its licensing,
framing the technology, rather than the invention, and its obvious lack
of compatibility with the existing environment, as the problem. It
proceeds to attack peer-to-peer technologies as a whole, with the same
lack of perspective, simply to push a unique agenda of shedding light to
some technologies that we know cannot address the global surveillance
issue that we've been submitted to.

I could go on for every single chapter of this paper. It's so oriented
to a single aspect of social networking technology that it's shameful to
say the least. The technical value of this document nears zero. The
first version of it, a few years ago, was already a complete rip-off of
the work done by grassroots activists. That is how they receive EU
funding in the first place: by co-opting Lorea, without even contacting
the team for consulting or support--now when it comes to free software,
the authors are happy to make it serve their interest. The D-Cent
perspective certainly evolved a lot since their first publication, but
frankly, co-option is not where you want to be looking at.

==
hk
hellekin
2014-10-02 15:48:20 UTC
Permalink
Post by hellekin
I understand some people are paranoid, but again, come back when you
have a real analysis.
*** Qui se sent morveux se mouche.
Post by hellekin
I read, on page 4: "Why open standards? Why not just open-source? For
many programmers, using open-source software - or the more restrictive
"free software" as defined by GPL licensing - is enough."
That is obviously an attack on software freedom. The wording here leaves
no doubt that the author of that paper want to shun free software
(written in quotes!) by calling it restrictive, and pose open-source as
a legitimate, but insufficient "model".
No, but the GPL licensing is not enough - as even the FSF admits.
*** See how you turn my remark on its head, by focusing on the only word
I did not mention. I come again: 'the more restrictive "free
software"'. So, you still do not agree that this wording is intentional
shunning? As someone who's been working with words, I can tell you
that, especially when working with a team, that kind of sentences is not
due to sloppiness, or one of a very incredible nature.
Post by hellekin
For example, you could have real patents and still have copyright.
*** Right. There's no question here. Copyleft is intentionally working
within the framework of Copyright. And you're right that software
patents are a very dangerous issue. Actually, they came as a way to
restrict software freedom, because the GPL was working so well. So yes,
invention exists in the legal world. But still, you're using GPL and
AGPL, so I don't understand why mentioning open-source and 'the more
restrictive "free software"'. In the logic of battling software
patents, obviously, open-source is more restrictive than free software,
because not only it allows patents, but it also allows proprietary
software. So I'm glad you're basing your work on the AGPL and GPL.
Post by hellekin
The W3C is the strongest model we have for fighting against software
patents.
*** Would you care to explain the specificity of the W3C model that
allows fighting against software patents? The IETF has explicit clauses
(5.5 of BCP 78, and BCP 79) to prevent appropriation of shared
technology, but I'm not familiar with similar conditions at W3C that
make it a model.
Post by hellekin
That's why the Free Software Foundation has people in the
Social Web Working Group W3C started (which D-CENT is funding
http://www.w3.org/wiki/Socialwg
*** Great. I would happily join it, but you already made clear that
privacy-by-design technologies based on peer-to-peer frameworks are not
the scope of that working group. Therefore I don't really understand
how you're willing to thwart global surveillance, by keeping using the
same overloaded tubes.
Post by hellekin
Also please actually try to read the paper :)
*** Are you saying I didn't do my homework? I suggest you read my
proposals in Ritimo, which are more up-to-date than what I wrote two
years ago for the GNU consensus manifesto. I you had, you would know
that I've been considering OStatus and OAuth as problematic since then.
[0][1]
Post by hellekin
It attributes the failure of the Diaspora* project to its licensing,
framing the technology, rather than the invention, and its obvious lack
of compatibility with the existing environment, as the problem. It
proceeds to attack peer-to-peer technologies as a whole, with the same
lack of perspective, simply to push a unique agenda of shedding light to
some technologies that we know cannot address the global surveillance
issue that we've been submitted to.
As someone who worked with Ilya on looking at the standardization
interop and knew him, he agreed with the need for open standards in
addition to free software. His death was a great loss to our wider
community.
*** Wow, what was that? As someone who believed in Santa Claus when I
was a kid, I deplore its loss as well. Now who would not be sorry to
have lost Ilya? That does not come close to address anything I
mentioned. Your happily side-tracking any issues that come forward to you.
Post by hellekin
And again, if you have a technology that solves all the problems of
global surveillance, I'd be all ears.
*** I doubt it, because you know exactly where I stand.
Post by hellekin
Note that as I was just with Pablo two days ago, and we did contact
those folks at the proposal, who at the time are were more interested
in Bitcoin than maintaining or upgrading Lorea.
*** That's plain wrong. The first version of the paper was purely based
on Lorea: it was mentioning Elgg, Ostatus federation, etc. At that
time, you didn't bother contacting ***@lorea.org, nor post
anything on the Lorea group of N-1. Your channels were wrong. And
Pablo went on to work on DarkWallet much after that first publication.
The current publication does not rip off so much Lorea because indeed,
that project has been left alone without much attention, and that's a
pity. Undoubtedly, when Lorea was interesting and D-Cent ripped it off,
it would have been much better to join forces instead. But now D-Cent
has moved on to other technologies, although I read the mention of
OStatus as a courtesy to legacy applications. Few people are interested
in that anymore.
Post by hellekin
Instead, Jacques Toret and IN3
*** Some context may be missing.
Post by hellekin
is managing the user-studies of people's behavior on Lorea
*** Interesting.
Post by hellekin
I do agree with James Boggs, who said any "revolution must be
majoritarian". I'd rather see security and privacy for *everyone*,
not just a few people.
*** I guess I can agree with some of that. This is why I'm convinced
energy must be put on inventing techniques that satisfy the basis for
thwarting global surveillance, making it not only difficult, but
impossible. *Everyone* is not going to happen anytime soon. States and
corporations won't let Facebook or Google suddenly go dark. The
majority will keep using slaveware as long as pressure goes. It's not
like if there were billions of dollars depending on it <g>. So, if your
target is everyone, and I'd rather stay away from absolutes, you'd
better stop shunning free software in the discourse even if, and
especially as you're supporting it in the facts. Poor wording is how
false promises are made, and a basic tactics of co-opting.

==
hk

[0] http://www.plateforme-echange.org/spip.php?article104 (Spanish)
http://www.plateforme-echange.org/spip.php?article102 (French) you're
welcome to provide funds for an English translation

[1] https://gnu.org/consensus/manifesto
Andreas Kuckartz
2014-10-02 20:19:07 UTC
Permalink
Post by hellekin
*** Great. I would happily join it, but you already made clear that
privacy-by-design technologies based on peer-to-peer frameworks are not
the scope of that working group.
Please consider joining the W3C Social Interest Group which is compiling
use cases and requirements for the WG:
http://www.w3.org/2013/socialweb/social-ig-charter.html.

Cheers,
Andreas
Gert van Velzen
2014-10-03 09:24:15 UTC
Permalink
Post by Andreas Kuckartz
Post by hellekin
*** Great. I would happily join it, but you already made clear that
privacy-by-design technologies based on peer-to-peer frameworks are not
the scope of that working group.
Please consider joining the W3C Social Interest Group which is compiling
http://www.w3.org/2013/socialweb/social-ig-charter.html.
Would anonymous "guest" access be possible on D-CENT, for
all functions?

Regards,
Gert van Velzen
Andreas Kuckartz
2014-10-17 08:08:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by Gert van Velzen
Post by Andreas Kuckartz
Post by hellekin
*** Great. I would happily join it, but you already made clear that
privacy-by-design technologies based on peer-to-peer frameworks are not
the scope of that working group.
Please consider joining the W3C Social Interest Group which is compiling
http://www.w3.org/2013/socialweb/social-ig-charter.html.
Would anonymous "guest" access be possible on D-CENT, for
all functions?
Such questions should be directed to the D-CENT project.

Cheers,
Andreas

Harry Halpin
2014-10-02 11:23:11 UTC
Permalink
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA512
Thanks for posting this Geert.
Scanning this, it seems they're getting many things right.
Also OKF and W3C involvement is a good sign for interoperability.
*** Really?
Here is my opinion: this is planted by the forces of the Status Quo to
keep social networking under control of the prying eyes.
I understand some people are paranoid, but again, come back when you
have a real analysis.
I read, on page 4: "Why open standards? Why not just open-source? For
many programmers, using open-source software - or the more restrictive
"free software" as defined by GPL licensing - is enough."
That is obviously an attack on software freedom. The wording here leaves
no doubt that the author of that paper want to shun free software
(written in quotes!) by calling it restrictive, and pose open-source as
a legitimate, but insufficient "model".
No, but the GPL licensing is not enough - as even the FSF admits. For
example, you could have real patents and still have copyright. Thus,
the FSF recommends one use copyright assignment on contributions. The
W3C is the strongest model we have for fighting against software
patents. That's why the Free Software Foundation has people in the
Social Web Working Group W3C started (which D-CENT is funding
currently):

http://www.w3.org/wiki/Socialwg

Also please actually try to read the paper :) Any software we will
produce will, taking into account dependencies, be based on GPL/AGPL.
We are just pointing out the rather obvious point that a decentralized
social network without open royalty-free standards is just a
decentralized ghetto that can't connect to other decentralized social
networks, so we'll also take care of making sure we use open
standards.
It attributes the failure of the Diaspora* project to its licensing,
framing the technology, rather than the invention, and its obvious lack
of compatibility with the existing environment, as the problem. It
proceeds to attack peer-to-peer technologies as a whole, with the same
lack of perspective, simply to push a unique agenda of shedding light to
some technologies that we know cannot address the global surveillance
issue that we've been submitted to.
As someone who worked with Ilya on looking at the standardization
interop and knew him, he agreed with the need for open standards in
addition to free software. His death was a great loss to our wider
community.

And again, if you have a technology that solves all the problems of
global surveillance, I'd be all ears.
I could go on for every single chapter of this paper. It's so oriented
to a single aspect of social networking technology that it's shameful to
say the least. The technical value of this document nears zero. The
first version of it, a few years ago, was already a complete rip-off of
the work done by grassroots activists. That is how they receive EU
funding in the first place: by co-opting Lorea, without even contacting
the team for consulting or support--now when it comes to free software,
the authors are happy to make it serve their interest. The D-Cent
perspective certainly evolved a lot since their first publication, but
frankly, co-option is not where you want to be looking at.
Note that as I was just with Pablo two days ago, and we did contact
those folks at the proposal, who at the time are were more interested
in Bitcoin than maintaining or upgrading Lorea. Instead, Jacques Toret
and IN3 is managing the user-studies of people's behavior on Lorea and
other platforms, such as Telegram (which I don't support at all) that
activists in Spain are actually using.

I do agree with James Boggs, who said any "revolution must be
majoritarian". I'd rather see security and privacy for *everyone*,
not just a few people.
==
hk
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