Watching this recent video about FreeNet with Ian: This is project that went throught a lot of changes. In the current reincarnation is the concept of launching "apps" into the network that anyone can run when they need them. The obvious limitation: storage. Where is data going to be kept? It is OK for a few MB but when someone starts ofsetting TB of data into my hard-drives then that becomes a problem. In the world-view from Ian there is a transition from Dictatorship (centralized servers) to Feudalism (decentralized servers) into total freedom (no-servers). The concept is beautiful but in my opinion feudalism works not just because you can keep people out but also because you can people and data inside, to protect them. In my world-view there is libertarian feudalism: my phone means my server and my data. A local and private world where I can decide how, when and what to share with others. This is an important distinction because the real-world has doors and walls. Sure they can be misused and everyone can point bad cases but they were also the survival mechanism for many villages and respective famillies when having to live in a very hostile society. Your phone. Your data. That is the principle we apply at

geogram

When the internet goes down, Geogram keeps going. Direct device-to-device communication without servers, accounts, or infrastructure you don

3 hours of how Elon Musk sees the future in the next 3 years: After seeing it, got a very bitter feeling if he either pushing for humanity advancement or destruction. In case he succeeds, we might be one of the last generations that enjoyed humanity as the species on the top. TLDR: Humans become chimpanzees inside a universe ruled by bots ruling from space (literally skynet).

New phone arrived that had a built-in radio transceiver. On that device are combined the power of a smartphone and transmission for hundreds of kilometers without Internet. Thousands of kilometers when you use a satellite. The next weeks will be fun.

Wi-fi station in the jar. This is an emergency hotspot station. Built with a cheap 3 USD/EUR microcontrolller (ESP32-C3 mini) that is connected to any normal powerbank you have around. Inside the jar can work for about 5 days straight before it needs a recharge. Serves two purposes: 1) permit to quickly connect devices between themselves 2) give a chat app that anyone can use with immediately with a browser when they first connect to the station Point 1 seems moot because smartphones can create hotspot. The big difference is that this one creates a mesh network. Add a few more stations in jars and you automatically extend this network for a mile of needed. Installation is simple: flash the firmware on the esp32 using a web browser or directly from the geogram app. The download for both the app and the firmware are at

geogram

When the internet goes down, Geogram keeps going. Direct device-to-device communication without servers, accounts, or infrastructure you don

Will publish a more complete guide if there is interest. Screenshots are from the jar itself and the chat app when you connect.