How do I not unwittingly get CP being stored on my device?
As a result, this network would be useless for CP-mongers, they'd get caught about as easily as using plain old FTP.
On the other hand, I do think the ability to pre-compute hashes is a flaw that massively reduces this network's usefulness to dissidents. It is quite effective as a "publish a manifesto network" with a secret writer and overt readers - the original write is of a never-before-seen file, there is no hash to monitor. It's unsafe as a "store my pirated stuff" network, writers of a well known file can be tracked. And it would take very little statistical monitoring to reveal the interests of a reader.
wouldn't the hash be different for every rar password used?
I guess the problem is once any copy infringing hash is found it is trivial to search the network and find everyone who has transferred it?
edit: although if the only writer is the uploader, would you be able to tell who read the copy infringing copy vs who just has it because their part of the network?
The addition of the long chain activity log may perhaps add some disincentive to upload CP in the first place but getting the economics of that (e.g. ease of getting upload privileges) right sounds like a difficult balance though.
The only complaint I ever received was from Sony after those "Geohot revenge hacks", in which they claimed that a hacked user database from one of their services was copyrighted by them, while at the same time they denied that it actually was the real user database.
We did some searches for the URL of the webinterface and discovered that it indeed was mostly used by "Anonymous" as a Pastebin alternative, at which point it was decided that we did not want to aid in the spread of personal information, which is why it was shut down.[1]
So you are right, there is no public grid because of unwanted files, but not because of Child Porn, but because of some script kiddies.
1: http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.file-systems.tahoe.devel...
Until that happens, you don't know, you don't need to know, and you can't know, that's the whole point.
They have won. The people is already under total control, nobody can take the power from the people ruling this world.
Buying a camera doesn't directly help the creation or distribution of info you consider to be immoral or unethical. Obviously you may want to use a camera maker or ISP that actively discourages such behaviour.
I'm sure you would feel extremely guilty if someone used storage facilities that you controlled to spread CP. On the other hand, I've never felt guilty about buying a camera as I've never let anyone use my camera for such purposes.
In the camera example, you have the option of not letting people use your camera your nefarious purposes, which isn't the case here. It's more akin to supporting the camera manufacturer, who, in turn, makes things that might be used by people for crime.
If I didn't know? Definitively not.
I think this was the point of the GP asking, "How do I not unwittingly get CP being stored on my device?".
And what about physical things? If you're working on a retail job, the customer buying piece of rope may be planning on using it for tying people up. The guy renting a car may be planning to use it on a hit.
Ultimately, it's not possible to keep track of everything people do with the services we offer.
Lots of people have no sense of guilt whatsoever. It's not a good thing, but with an enabling community saying "it's not your fault" it's awfully easy for people to pretend there was nothing they could do.