Ask HN: Can we defeat SOPA with a completely decentralized DNS? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Can we defeat SOPA with a completely decentralized DNS?

I suppose the next step for our "well-intentioned" law makers would be to have all routers subscribe to a global IP blacklist, which will be easier when IPV6 becomes the norm and the one-to-one mapping between IP addresses and nameable things returns.

But still, I suppose decentralized P2P DNS could be "self-healing" in this instance, if objects have a way to broadcast their new IP address, which could then propagate through the DNS mesh.

I ask because if we have to fight laws like this every couple of years, eventually one of them will pass through the cracks. I'm all for political activism, but shouldn't we also be designing a future internet that is forever safe from this kind of meddling?

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"I suppose the next step for our "well-intentioned" law makers would be to have all routers subscribe to a global IP blacklist, which will be easier when IPV6 becomes the norm and the one-to-one mapping between IP addresses and nameable things returns."

OT, but this made me think of assigning an IP to every individual, mapped to either or all of iris scans, fingerprints and dna.

Microsoft and Apple would never even make it even a non default option (not for fear of breaking a law, just general fear) and I doubt they'd even like something so p2p, so uncontrolled. Without them you'd struggle to get anywhere near 1%. Saving us few who know to install this alternative dns is good, but the DNS system we have is good, better to keep that if we can.

A more effective and easy solution would be to wrestle the root zone control away from the United States Department of Commerce. The Americans have proven, without question, that they are unfit to govern what has become a global communications system. This regime can no longer be trusted.

Fair point about the americans, but who do you suggest should be put in charge?

The World Trade Organization is the most obvious choice. It already deals with communication and IP-related issues.

Not a good choice in my mind, given how closely the WTO cooperates with the WIPO.

ICANN would be a start.

ICANN is american.

Why not just compile a hosts file?

Mainly because my mom can't "just compile a hosts file". I'm thinking of something that she doesn't have to know exists (like today's DNS) and moving the entire Internet to that.

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