-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1
Update from Isaac at the Free Network Foundation.
Isaac spoke with Eben Moglen & Richard Stallman about the Network
Commons License and Free Network Definition:
- -------- Original Message --------
Subject: [FNF] april is the sweetest month
Date: Fri, 4 Apr 2014 00:03:36 -0500
From: Isaac Wilder <isaac(a)freenetworkmovement.org>
Reply-To: FNF General Discussion <discuss(a)lists.thefnf.org>
To: discuss(a)lists.thefnf.org
growing
networks out of the bluesky rising...
It's build season everybody!!!
Apologies and apologies for the lack of updates. Much has happened.
I believe that the last time I sent a proper update was week before
last, before LibrePlanet.
Let's start from there.
We had what I think were hugely productive discussions are the NCL.
Huge thanks to Mitar for
doing lots of the leg work to bring people together, and for his
persistent insight and passion.
I been trying to let some of those ideas that we talked about
percolate, and definitely the discussions
are still ongoing. I guess the big one that I came away with was an
approach to the 'peer-alike' problem.
That is to say, we need some way to 'weaponize' network freedom in the
way that the GPL weaponized software
freedom. Of course, utility and network effects are very different
between multiplexed telecoms systems and
information goods. That is to say, we can't just say 'anything that
touches a free network must be a free
network' in the way that free software does. We need to peer with the
big proprietary networks in order
for our networks to be seen a useful in the interim. We were puzzling
on this, throw around ideas that
we could prioritize service for free peers, or not allow outside
proprietary networks to connect to one
another through free networks (need to avoid tragedy of commons) --
but there were/are major problems
with all of these ideas. What we arrived at eventually was the idea
that all traffic should be treated the
same (QoE optimization notwithstanding), with one difference. Non-free
peers that wish to use a free network
for transit *may* be asked to pay for that transit. Free peers won't.
This raises questions such as: where
would transit revenues go? Who would manage them? etc..., but it does
seem to have the makings of a good
first approach to the peering section of the NCL base. Of course,
radical networks could simply add a hard-line
peer-alike clause.
Beyond that, had wonderful conversations with both Eben Moglen and
Richard Stallman, not to mention many many
others. Mitar and I sat and talked with Eben for some time. We didn't
get into the nitty gritties of the NCL,
but we did talk about the broad stroke. He had very valuable feedback.
For instance, it is probably better not
to frame it as a license, as this implies some rights which must be
waived. It's better, perhaps, to base it in
contract law than in property law, as it has a better basis for
international enforcement.
What do folks think about going back to calling it the 'Free Network
Compact'? Is it too American?
Eben also had much to say about the politics and economics of the
current situation, and was interested to
hear a report from the front. He'd like for me to prepare some field
notes for presentation to one of his
classes in the fall.
rms and I had dinner, and he gave me some notes on the Free Network
Definition. Much as it pains me (because
of how much care we put in to crafting the language), I think he was
right in saying that the definition is
unclear unless you already know what it's saying. This problem could
probably be fixed by exploding out each
item, as Matt suggested early on, or by fleshing out the meaning
through paragraph/narrative form examples.
I'm really not sure which would be better, but I know that we need to
do one or both.
Other than that, got to see some old friends, and bought an awesome
'RUN GCC' shirt (in the style of RUN DMC).
Since I've been back, it's been all about building. We installed about
5 miles worth of new links (consisting
of four separate links), finally bringing Juniper Gardens onto KCFN
proper. The access mesh is loving the low
latency. We got to use the newly available UNII-1 frequencies, and
also got experience operating a hydraulic
lift/bucket truck, which was a pretty cool experience. All in all the
new links are working better than expected.
That said, we really need to put in a proper router at Posada. I've
asked Chris to build one from an older mini
tower PC, and it should be ready to go shortly.
Also, the UNI/CFG/FNF grant application to the Community Capital Fund
went in on Monday. We should hear in the
next month or so.
Yesterday I spent all day in the colo, rebuilding and improving our
secondary storage server. Moved root fs from
raid 1 of thumb drives to raid one of ssd's, added a new 1TB mirror to
the main storage pool, and expanded capacity
of read/write caches.
Met with Joe today, and came up with a plan for getting out of Oak
Tower (his lease is up at end of August), we are
going to build a tower on top of his new facility east of downtown.
And last but not least, finished the mutha-fudging floors in my house
last weeked (finished finishing, I should say).
As of today, they are fully cured, and we can finally live in this
house, instead of squatting in it like some crazies!
:-)
imw
!DSPAM:533e3da0167748214931491!
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: GnuPG v1.4.14 (GNU/Linux)
Comment: Using GnuPG with Thunderbird -
http://www.enigmail.net/
iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJTPuK5AAoJEHTWWpBUSeDhJo0H/AvwSxTrLlqnzhtU3CXpM/AW
Hfhzx4XidbRkX5j3ymOVFiXgc03libPmi83MB/ngm/D9EqkTS4CGqvYCwpXMrXAf
MteSsW1eZ/xFAhhqBFNFlPKlw4BAeX58LUWFxasZK9+9PlpRLfzV+dqpX4R3ocrV
mNBlg6Vn7UiPhbNEbacVVgOhK3mWooaEkI3SRCNRVkQjZLtYKlzXGo024fg9mRsv
7byDoGaPF9yRXC7mb7bUBKueveY/N26vAj7PXhMxCuI5WvlE7NFLilnrO/cP57Vj
gXVlMCD/uoan2GVdYhs2w2ZN3q6vvmDJVDQqgLiVzUU+1tj249s4aFXy1QlgZr4=
=VzXT
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----