some projects/ideas i found in the last couple of years, that try to solve our current problem of the internet being a centralized structure that is controllable by big corporations or governments and not so easily usable with mesh technology or when not being connected for long amounts of time
https://scuttlebutt.nz/docs/introduction/
https://yggdrasil-network.github.io/
https://www.inverse.com/science/39507-mesh-networks-net-neutrality-fcc
https://redecentralize.github.io/alternative-internet/
https://github.com/cjdelisle/cjdns
Nostr is very promising : https://nostr.com/
I’ve heard they tend to harbor a lot of alt-right types. Possibly because users can’t really get banned. Is that true?
Bannability is similar to lemmy. Each “instance” (or “relay” in nostr words) can decide what content/users can live on their relay. The difference is that you are usually connected to multiple relays. So if you want to follow somebody who is banned by other relays, nobody can take that choice away from you. Likewise, nobody can stop you from publishing, though your reach may be limited by relays sharing blocklists etc.
There are some right users there just as there are on any social media network. You can just click block and move on and/or pick relays with stronger moderation policies. If Lemmy has a “left” tilt, Nostr has a “libertarian right” tilt. But over time it’s expanding and becoming more generalized, just like how Lemmy isn’t 100% tankies now.
You don’t have to pay relays to use nostr. Been using Nostr for a while and love it, it’s an underlying protocol like AP is for Lemmy, Kbin, mastodon, etc. The main “interface” for it right now is as a twitter clone.
You don’t lose your identity if your instance shuts down which is a major pro (Bluesky also has this advantage over AP). The UX is a little less polished than Mastodon but I find the underlying tech concepts more solid, privacy respecting, and censorship-resistant. For example, DMs are automatically encrypted so relay operators can’t read them.
Associating with crypto-fraud is a hard no for many users (I am referring to Nostro which was developed by a crypto-bro).
i don’t trust it because it is very big on the design meaning to be “censorship resistant” and there are certain kinds of posts that people make that probably should be censored, and while i like that some tools exist to make pseudononymous, censorship-resistant communications possible (tor and i2p are good. freenet is fine imho), this one looks like a grift that has a neon sign saying “censorship resistant”… and i am sure that associating with those people will lead to encountering some of that material that probably should be censored.
Replying to this comment so people don’t get put off by it. Nostr has an optional feature where you can tip other users using Bitcoin lightning. So if you like their post, you can send them .001c or $100 or whatever you want. You don’t have to use it though. It’s valuable IMO as a way for content creators to get paid and will be a key driver of content creators choosing to use it over other platforms, but to each their own. You can also dedicate a % of your tips to your nostr relay or app to supporting hosting and development.
Crypto is full of garbage and scams, Nostr uses Bitcoin. Bitcoin has been around for 15 years without a single hour of downtime, a single hack, or a single broken promise. Whatever you don’t like about “crypto” is probably actually other stuff that isn’t Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a way to transfer coins around the world quickly, and it works, and nobody can print away the currency’s value by inflating the supply. It has a trillion dollar market cap for a reason, which places it in the top 25 countries by GDP.
Lightning is a terrible protocol. The Lightning devs themselves state that it’s basically unusable and you shouldn’t even try sending transactions valued more than a few hundred dollars. If you’re bored, check out the history of Lightning; it’s almost like a satire of software development project.
You’re also being a little disingenuous about the nature of Nostr and it’s relatioship to crypto.
The “market cap” polemic is a piece of propaganda. If you tried selling all that bitcoin, the price would tank and you would see exponential declines in the “market cap”.
Turns out Nostr’s founder (who is a crypto-bro) is super sketchy:
https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-dorsey-fiatjaf-nostr-donation-2024-6
Yeah, if they used monero instead of lightning would be a better option for the user. Not a lightning fan. Layer 2 solutions seems a waste of time and money for me, lightning included…but well, that’s the result of the blocksize war.
IPFS seems like it’s dying but I still have high hopes for it
Freenet and YacY are worth adding to this list.
Anyone have any experience with yggdrasil, particularly in context of remote access to self-hosted services?
It just works. You install yggdrasil on all your devices that support ipv6, you write down ipv6 of all devices you want to connect to, you type the ygg ipv6 and connect, as long as ports are open.
Good to hear. I am very cautious about remote access and yggdrasil seemed like the perfect solution.
I do remember IPv6 being a pain point, by provider then (2018) didn’t support it. My current ISP is planning to add IPv6 support, but still isn’t there yet. :(
While development seems to be strong, their website and documentation is also still lacking.
You don’t need to have ipv6 support by your provider, it’s ipv6 over ipv4. You only need your hardware (phones, laptops) and software (OS, servers, clients) to support ipv6.
I use it to play LAN games with my friend from other country, kind of like Hamachi, but FOSS.
Netsukuku… Now that is something I haven’t heard about in ages.
