CADET, the end-to-end data transfer system for GNUnet, still needs to go through some API changes before seeing a stable release. Building an app on top of it as it stands right now may be wasted effort.

I'm keen to see it go stable.

One of the things I find most fascinating about this application and protocol is that information can be exchanged and updated without the Internet over USB[0] and the protocol is designed where it could be implemented to pass information over devices like goTenna.[1]

[0] https://boingboing.net/2017/04/07/bug-in-tech-for-antipreppe... [1] https://community.gotennamesh.com/t/using-gotenna-for-scuttl...

OP of the article here. Sorry the server got hugged to death, I launched the site a few weeks ago and wasn't expecting it to end up on the HN front page. It's back up on a better server now (and will be seeded to Scuttlebutt soon).

Happy to answer any questions.

The link is down I’m guessing it’s not the scuttle butt of the outdoor world. A Scuttle butt is the protective fabric put around a climbing harness when one is canyoneering and will be sliding down and scraping against abrasive material like sandstone.

How does it compare to Mastodon or Diaspora?

When I last looked at Diaspora (many years ago,) it came across as an open source social network that you could clone and run yourself, and then there was a network of networks.

So, you could run the Diaspora code on your own server and then your server was part of the network.

If someone has a better answer than me, please upvote them. It's been years...

In this case, one primary difference is that a lot of Scuttlebut logic runs in the client that you install on your computer. You just can't point a browser at someone's server running Scuttlebut

Edit: (The difference is kind of like downloading a file in a browser vs downloading a file with a Bittorrent client.)

Mastodon and Diaspora are federated softwares, which means there is still a server/client model, but many servers (a more well known example of federated decentralization is smtp).

ssb (common short for secure-scuttlebutt) is fully decentralized, which means that there is no server/client anymore, everyone is a node (like the initial idea of bitcoin).

I'm biased in favor of full decentralization, but here are the main differences I can think of :

* federation tends to lead to centralization again, because everyone use the same server (like gmail for smtp)

* full decentralization makes it easier to build custom software (you have access to the whole data, without being constrained by an api). But this is not true for ssb, because it's harder than it should to build software on top of it.

* it's easier to change software with full decentralization, because you don't have an "account" owned by a given server (think: it's hard to migrate from a mail address to an other)

* onboarding is more difficult with full decentralization, because you have no easy entrypoint like a server is

Dose every node need a full copy of data?

Sorry that the server crashed, it's back up now and that's talked about in the article :)

What happen if I receive message N+1 but not message N (due to gossiping)?

Can I still read message N+1?

usually the gossip works in a way that you should receive each feed's messages in order. Essentially, your client will talk to a peer and say "I have everything up to message M from feed F, got news?" and then the peer will go "Oh, I'm caught up to message M!" and then your client will realize that N > M, and ask for the messages [M+1...N] in order.

Of course, there are ways to mess this up if you try really hard. :P

But to answer your question: Yes, you can read it. You won't be able to verify that it is part of an unbroken signature chain, but you will be able to verify that it was signed with the feed's private key.

Yep, and your database will record that it's missing message N.

Other than the cryptography, how does Scuttlebutt really differ from UUCP?

The blog design is painful to read!

The blog looks well on mobile screen

How so? What Browser/OS/Resolution?

I understand what scuttlebutt does. What I don't understand is why. What kind of information benefits from decentralization? The only answer I can think of is child porn.

You never benefited from a torrent? Never used popcorn time?

So, it's just for illegal stuff?

my gosh... yes, just like torrents are only good for illegal stuff...

my goodness...

Of course not. The point (for me) is that it's truly owned by it's users and it never goes down.

Anything you don't want to be at the whims of a central service shutting down/changing their policies/...?

Using a system centered around identity and immutable records for illegal things would be quite stupid.

I can already host my own blog and have it safe from the whims of a central service.

I'd like to hear more about how this is tied to identify, but the immutability is my main concern with regard to illegal activity. Once your daughters nudes are leaked on scuttlebutt how do you get them taken down?

> I can already host my own blog and have it safe from the whims of a central service.

Depends which central service. You aren't beholden to social media companies at that point, but you still have to:

* play by the rules of your ISP (If you're hosting on your home connection)

* trust that your hosting service won't arbitrarily turf you out

* make sure that your domain is safe from unauthorized transfers, sudden price increases, etc.

If the convenience and ease-of-use of current systems is worth those downsides (And for many, it is!) then fine. But it's not entirely accurate to say that you're safe from any central service.

To your second point, legality shouldn't be the final word. There are lots of governments with laws that are either actively or inadvertently used to silence dissenting opinions, or used to root out various undesirables. "You can do crime easier using it" isn't a great argument IMO.

That's great that you live in a free country that allows you to host your own blog.

If you lived in China and your blog was critical of the Chinese government you'd soon see how easy it is for your blog to be shut down.

Decentralization is the antidote to totalitarian creep. Sure it's only a few countries that are authoritarian today, what happens if most of the world goes that way? Will your blog still be safe then?

IRT leaked nudes - The feeds in scuttlebutt are immutable but blobs of data are not. If only you and your friends have a blob, and you request them to delete it and they do so, then no one else will be able to retrieve it or access it ever again because no one has a copy. This is the same as if the nudes were leaked any other way online.

Others will still see that you posted a blob because it's hash is in your immutable feed, but they won't be able to retrieve it.

Why use git when we could use SVN? Decentralization removes the need for synchronization with a central system (self-owned or otherwise). It allows for more methods of interaction and independence.

You might like https://adecentralizedworld.com/2020/03/why-decentralization...

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