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Old 06-10-03, 09:12 AM   #1
JackSpratts
 
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Default Freenet Developer “Recommending” Earth Station Five

Ian Clarke, developer of the anonymizing file sharing program Freenet has responded to critics claiming the program's unstable and devoid of content by saying it’s only "in development" and if they want something finished and easy to use they should "try Earth Station Five” instead. He goes on to say that he hears ES5 is “great." While his comments appear sarcastic and not meant literally (I presume) they do indicate a growing sense of frustration on his part and a departure from earlier comments where he claimed Freenet was "not just theoretical" but was being used effectively by dissidents to communicate without fear of attacks by authorities. Those same dissidents may be unnerved to discover that the developer of the program they depend on is now saying it may not be up to the task.

For more on the controversy there’s a thread at Slashdot.

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Old 06-10-03, 10:02 AM   #2
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Exclamation he says it 3 times in that one post?

sounds sarcastic..to me, as well
someone in a few post downs say "your sarcasam is duly noted.."

the freenet idea seems to have a little more merit than ES5 anyway..
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Old 06-10-03, 02:56 PM   #3
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As a research project Freenet has been and continues to be very valuable. Every serious P2P development project is valuable as it helps to spread p2p-related ideas and technical solutions to a growing population of developers - and Freenet has been one of the most interesting and inspiring projects around, especially in the issues of privacy.

As a filesharing network Freenet may never break through with its present architecture. Its basic idea of having all shared data distributed in encrypted form into people's computers is both alien and impractical to normal filesharers. Alien because people want to have full control over their personal sharing, and impractical as having abundant content in the network would require similarly abundant buffer space reserved for encrypted data. Nobody minds donating a few megabytes of HD space for encrypted storage should a p2p application need it, but to have gigabytes of inaccessible binary pulp on your HD does not sound like the way to go.

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Old 06-10-03, 09:27 PM   #4
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to be "like freenet" philosophically is high praise indeed. any p2p that aspires to it's lofty goals of privacy and robustness deserves encouragement and support. but to be "like freenet" operationally, at least at present, is to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.

tg, your description "gigabytes of inaccessible binary pulp" is a brilliantly concise explanation of the rather complex operational scheme behind the p2p. while it conjures up an image of intestinal dysfunction of a most unfortunate nature it also illuminates an obscure subject and makes a strong case for new directions.

a p2p built for txt files and few dozen pages of word docs will never replace one optimized for full cds and hollywood blockbusters but this is no criticism of freenet. rather it’s an acknowledgement that the other programs spent way too much effort on things like 3rd party software and other insignificant items while neglecting the most important aspects of actual file sharing, avoiding the tough compromises strong protection can dictate. mainstream p2p users unfamiliar with real security were lured into believing the cost to convenience was slight. freenet has now left no doubt how wrong that thinking was, and that knowledge alone makes the program significant to the p2p community.

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Old 07-10-03, 07:48 AM   #5
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spotted the "freenet guy" in this article as well..
Quote:
from
A research paper highlighting security weaknesses in a popular internet file-sharing network has raised concerns that innocent users could in theory be wrongly accused of sharing copyrighted music. {Click headline for full story.}

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which represents the largest US music companies, has already begun legal action against 261 file-sharers who are accused of sharing "substantial" amounts of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) networks.

The RIAA carried out surveillance of P2P networks to determine the usernames of alleged copyright infringers. A subset of these users was then tracked down via their internet service providers.

So far, 52 have agreed to settle with the RIAA for a few thousand dollars each. A further 838 have admitted infringements and promised to destroy illegally obtained files in return for a legal amnesty. An estimated 62 million Americans are thought to have used P2P networks, though it is not known how many have illegally shared music.

The anonymous paper, Entrapment: Incriminating Peer to Peer Network Users, was posted to a free Australian web hosting service and suggests some users could claim that the evidence on which they are brought to trial is flawed. Experts contacted by New Scientist say the paper is a credible piece of work.

False request
The document focuses on the Gnutella file-sharing network that forms the backbone of a number of widely-used file-sharing clients including Morpheus and Bearshare.

The RIAA's lawsuits have so far targeted users of the largest file-sharing network, Kazaa. The protocol used to trade files through this network is proprietary and has not been publicly analysed.

It describes various techniques that could be used to make it appear to a third party on the Gnutella network as if an innocent user is hosting or searching for copyrighted files. It also describes methods for tricking users into inadvertently downloading copyrighted files so that they actually host these files.

Some of the methods described are made possible because peer-to-peer networks like Gnutella rely on users passing on requests for files and information about the files stored on users' machines. Manipulating these network messages can make it look as if a user is illegally offering files for download.

"These Gnutella-specific attacks seem reasonable at first glance," says Adam Langley, a UK-based peer-to-peer programmer. But the techniques described are not surprising, he says: "Gnutella was certainly never designed to resist an attack like this."

Unreliable evidence
Others experts say the paper raises interesting issues about the ongoing legal furore. "The core point the author is making - the unreliability of the 'evidence' used to sue file sharers - is valid," says Ian Clarke, who invented Freenet, a file-sharing network designed to provide anonymity for users.

Theodore Hong, a peer-to-peer networking researcher at Imperial College London, UK, comments: "It's interesting that these technical weaknesses may actually be a legal strength [for P2P users] by introducing doubt as to who is really doing what."

Langley says it is unclear whether other P2P networks might be similarly vulnerable to misuse. But he notes that there are other ways to incriminate an innocent party: "Most Windows users will run any old attachment you send them, so if you want to implicate someone you can just send them a Trojan."
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