permaculture

[Chris Lumpkin <clumpkin@gmail.com>]

I have long thought that any degree of freedom and privacy on the Internet
will be torn to shreds by commercial interests before too long. I am less
concerned about privacy - I don't care who hears what I say, and I work
very hard to live with integrity so I don't require privacy - but the
monetization of our data (emails, Facebook posts) and our very
consciousness (tracking cookies following what we read) are leading the
Internet experience to a place no one can trust.

As far as privacy goes... the best way to keep a secret is not to tell
anyone. If you want your data private, don't write it down, don't keep it
on a computer, don't store it on any device connected to a network, and
especially don't send it over a network. If you cannot abide by those
rules, your best bet is some sort of
encryption<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Email_encryption> -
which is quite possible for sending emails from one person to another,
trusted person.

As far as the corporate takeover of the lightwaves... There Ain't No Such
Thing As A Free Lunch (TANSTAAFL) - or a free email account, or a free
Facebook account, or a free "online news source". Even your paid ISP
account is subsidized by corporate infrastructure with many ties to
government entities and other sharks that would eat you, should you swim
too far out from your school. The underlying protocol on which the Internet
is based, TCP/IP, was designed to circumvent attempts at blockage or
intrusion of communications. Unfortunately, that design is not fully
realized in the physical manifestation of today's Internet. I believe
virtually all Internet traffic traverses network infrastructure that is
owned by only three corporations. They may have broken up Ma Bell, but she
is being stitched together into a Frankenstein monster that only cares
about profit. There is a very good reason you hear the term "Internet
backbone" - the network we all rely on so heavily is composed of relatively
few corporate trunk lines and satellite networks.

I think the best long-term solution is a multitude of networks composed of
peer-to-peer connections and over-the-air networks on independent or
community-owned infrastructure. My permaculture awareness, transposed over
my computing knowledge, tells me the answer is in a multitude of networks
and systems that provide diversity, redundancy, failover, scalability,
rapid adaptation; all the things one would expect from Mother Nature, or a
well built website or networked software. TCP/IP works very well, and it
does not care what vehicle it rides in.

One possibility is a trusted network of ham radio stations using encryption
protocols that would make it exceedingly difficult and expensive, if not
impossible, to crack. While these radio frequencies are relatively low
bandwidth, they could easily support data transfer for email listservs like
this one.

Of course, if you're feeling ambitious, you could fund your own network of
satellites and tracking stations like these German hackers
proposed<http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2012-01/german-hackers-are-building-diy-space-program-put-their-own-uncensored-internet-space>
.

In any case, I'm not a big fan of waving signs at politicians, in my
country or abroad, to try and talk them out of selling my freedom to the
highest bidder. I don't believe they will listen, and I don't find it a
productive use of energy. I prefer to make my own freedom as much as
possible.

Hey, maybe we could use trees as radio towers for a permaculture network,
and mycellium for the "land lines"! Now I'm getting all "Avatar"...

-Chris


On Thu, Nov 15, 2012 at 3:30 PM, Lawrence London <lfljvenaura@gmail.com>wrote:

> Act now to stop unaccountable, censor-friendly UN agency from
> hijacking control of the Internet! - Boing Boing
> http://boingboing.net/2012/11/15/act-now-to-stop-unaccountable.html
>
> Act now to stop unaccountable, censor-friendly UN agency from
> hijacking control of the Internet!
>
> Evan from Fight for the Future, "The open internet is in danger. In
> just a few weeks, governments from around the world are getting
> together, and they could decide the future of our internet. Watch the
> video to find out why a government-dominated agency as old as the
> telegraph is trying to get its hands on the net we love. Then take
> action by using the platform to contact your government and tell them
> to stand up for an open internet."
>
> There’s a meeting between the world’s governments in a just a few
> weeks, and it could very well decide the future of the internet
> through a binding international treaty. It’s called the World
> Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), and it’s being
> organized by a government-controlled UN agency called the
> International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
>
> If some proposals at WCIT are approved, decisions about the internet
> would be made by a top-down, old-school government-centric agency
> behind closed doors. Some proposals allow for access to be cut off
> more easily, threaten privacy, legitimize monitoring and blocking
> online traffic. Others seek to impose new fees for accessing content,
> not to mention slowing down connection speeds. If the delicate balance
> of the internet is upset, it could have grave consequences for
> businesses and human rights.
>
> The ITU could put the Internet behind closed doors. (Thanks, Evan!)
>
>
> The ITU could put the Internet behind closed doors.
> Watch the video to find out how
> http://www.whatistheitu.org/
>
> We love the internet.
>
> And we’re guessing you do too. Think about all the awesome things it
> gives us: A vast communication network; innovative businesses; a
> platform to freely speak or challenge powerful governments; and
> hundreds and hundreds of hours of cat videos.
>
> All this great stuff is available because the internet was designed in
> an open and inclusive way, with a multitude of voices being able to
> get a say on how it’s governed.
>
> But the internet is in danger.
>
> There’s a meeting between the world’s governments in a just a few
> weeks, and it could very well decide the future of the internet
> through a binding international treaty. It’s called the World
> Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT), and it’s being
> organized by a government-controlled UN agency called the
> International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
>
> If some proposals at WCIT are approved, decisions about the internet
> would be made by a top-down, old-school government-centric agency
> behind closed doors. Some proposals allow for access to be cut off
> more easily, threaten privacy, legitimize monitoring and blocking
> online traffic. Others seek to impose new fees for accessing content,
> not to mention slowing down connection speeds. If the delicate balance
> of the internet is upset, it could have grave consequences for
> businesses and human rights.
> This must be stopped.
>
> Only governments get a vote at WCIT, so we need people from all around
> the world to demand that our leaders keep the internet open.
>
> Watch the video, and take action above to tell your governments to
> oppose handing over key decisions about the internet to the ITU. Let’s
> use the internet’s global reach to save it.
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