Re: [gulfwar-2] Al-Jazeera Calls... - strategy proposal (fwd)
On Fri, Mar 28, 2003 at 01:45:03AM +0100, Thomas Shaddack wrote: If someone manages to convince al-Jazeera editors to publish not only by upload to some server(s) but also by eg. emailing the updated files to several helpers who then either set up mirrors or put them to P2P networks (Freenet http://freenet.sourceforge.net/ is especially suitable for this purpose, because of its inherent load-balancing capabilities). [...] Are there any weaknesses in this scheme? This might be an interesting way to explore identity, credibility, and real-world PKI deployment. In the real world, simply being capable of broadcasting a widely available TV or satellite signal confers a certain amount of crediblity on the broadcaster. At an oversimplified level, people assume that anyone with the resources to do something like that are likely to have some sort of a clue and a certain amount of reliability, because resources are unlikely to remain in the possession of people who don't have those characteristics. (I mean reliability in a judgement-neutral, descriptive way - not that a person with resources is likely to be a good person, just that their behavior is predictable and has an underlying logic or motive.) Random Freenet postings don't carry with them that implied authority or credibility. Part of what's interesting about al-Jazeera is that it's apparently an attempt at creating an Arab CNN - so their credibility is important to them. How do people who download things from Freenet know that they're really from the al-Jazeera that's got satellite time and reporters and resources? al-Jazeera - if they wanted to - could explore signing such posts with some sort of PKI system, and use their existing media assets to vouch for the authenticity of the signing key. Are they going to do it? Seems unlikely to me - ultimately they're not motivated by a desire to bring the truth to the world (or we wouldn't trust them), they're motivated by a desire to make money, probably by licensing their content to satellite operators, cable TV operators, or by selling ad space/time to commercial sponsors. Freenet distribution doesn't help them make money licensing content, and it's difficult to sell ads if you don't have good data about viewership and their demographics, given the attenuated relationship between media ads and subsequent purchases. I think Freenet solves your problem (how can you get access to controversial content?) but I'm not sure it solves their problem (how to support a high-demand high-risk content site with limited resources). Remember that US media sites didn't cope with the traffic generated by the 9/11 attacks very well, either, and there probably wasn't a ton of hostile intent aimed their way, just curiousity. -- Greg Broiles [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [gulfwar-2] Al-Jazeera Calls... - strategy proposal (fwd)
At 5:12 PM -0800 3/27/03, Greg Broiles wrote: Are they going to do it? Seems unlikely to me - ultimately they're not motivated by a desire to bring the truth to the world (or we wouldn't trust them), they're motivated by a desire to make money, probably by licensing their content to satellite operators, cable TV operators, or by selling ad space/time to commercial sponsors. Freenet distribution doesn't help them make money licensing content, and it's difficult to sell ads if you don't have good data about viewership and their demographics, given the attenuated relationship between media ads and subsequent purchases. I beg to differ with you here. If the content is signed, then the signed content can include the ads. That binding will create an incentive to keep the ad and the content together. Getting an idea of the readership might be possible with the older file sharing networks by finding which machines have the files. In the end, of course, Al-Jazeera will have to decide whether bypassing censorship while under attack, with the expected increase in readership, and loss of detailed readership information is worth it. It would certainly give the file sharing networks an A1, ACLU approvable, reason for existence. Cheers - Bill - Bill Frantz | Due process for all| Periwinkle -- Consulting (408)356-8506 | used to be the | 16345 Englewood Ave. [EMAIL PROTECTED] | American way. | Los Gatos, CA 95032, USA
Re: [gulfwar-2] Al-Jazeera Calls... - strategy proposal (fwd)
Couple ideas. I am interested in peer reviews. :) -- Forwarded message -- Date: Fri, 28 Mar 2003 01:43:11 +0100 (CET) Subject: Re: [gulfwar-2] Al-Jazeera Calls... - strategy proposal To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Delivered-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Fri, 28 Mar 2003, Truckle the Uncivil wrote: It is too well co-ordinated to be that. Any new route seems to take less than five minutes to be blocked. it is well organised. It doesn't matter, at least not now, who is behind it. It matters what is happening and what can be done about it. If someone manages to convince al-Jazeera editors to publish not only by upload to some server(s) but also by eg. emailing the updated files to several helpers who then either set up mirrors or put them to P2P networks (Freenet http://freenet.sourceforge.net/ is especially suitable for this purpose, because of its inherent load-balancing capabilities). The limitation of Freenet is a relatively small number of users and relatively difficult availability. The advantage is the difficulty of taking it down or tracing the data source, and its load-balancing. The limitation of P2P networks is the easiness of taking down the individual nodes in the early phases of content distribution, when there are only few of them. Their advantage is in their easy availability and the raw numbers of users. My proposed solution is a two-tiered distribution network; al-Jazeera editors can upload the content to Freenet, from where the seed nodes take it and publish on the classic Gnutella/Kazaa/WinMX... networks. The source nodes (the editors) are hidden behind the secured network, the P2P seed nodes are protected by their amount. The infrastructure for both tiers is already existing. If the adversary is just a bunch of script kids with IRC bots, they will not have any chance to defeat this. If the adversary is the Government, they still aren't too likely to strike many winning points. If nothing other, it can be a field test of a rapid-deployment community-based anticensorship effort. Are there any weaknesses in this scheme? Shaddack, the Mad Scientist
