One
magazine calls it "The Alternet." Freenet at
www.freenetproject.org/ aims to build an
alternative to the Web, where all contained
information is freely available, no one's privacy is
breached, and anyone can contribute without owning a
server or Web space. Sponsored by open-source maven
Sourceforge, it follows in the footsteps of
famous/notorious file-sharers Napster and Gnutella,
in providing freely disseminated information without
regard to copyright restrictions, but claims to be
decentralized enough to survive any attempts to shut
it down a la Napster. Much of Freenet functions in
Java, the closest thing to a true cross-platform
language out there; more of it runs under
open-source Linux. There is some serious and
well-thought anarchism going on here, and it's well
worth being aware of. Or maybe being part of -- you
read the site's various rationales and FAQs and
decide for yourself.
One
magazine calls it "The Alternet." Freenet at
www.freenetproject.org/ aims to build an
alternative to the Web, where all contained
information is freely available, no one's privacy is
breached, and anyone can contribute without owning a
server or Web space. Sponsored by open-source maven
Sourceforge, it follows in the footsteps of
famous/notorious file-sharers Napster and Gnutella,
in providing freely disseminated information without
regard to copyright restrictions, but claims to be
decentralized enough to survive any attempts to shut
it down a la Napster. Much of Freenet functions in
Java, the closest thing to a true cross-platform
language out there; more of it runs under
open-source Linux. There is some serious and
well-thought anarchism going on here, and it's well
worth being aware of. Or maybe being part of -- you
read the site's various rationales and FAQs and
decide for yourself.