-
Notifications
You must be signed in to change notification settings - Fork 1
Home
SharkNet is not a compatition to all those well-known social network apps. SharkNet is a proof.
It proofs that a social network can work without a server. It proofs that social networks app can comply to (e.g. privacy) laws even in Europe.
A lack of a server does not imply lack of functionality for users. A lack of a server implies that mis-use of private social data becomes nearly impossible, though. A lack of server also implies that the usual business plans cannot be applied.
Commercial social network app are more or less free charge on the first glimp. They are payed indirectly. They are payed with user data. Users data are analyzed. Analysis results are sold to parties who can pay for it.
That's ok if user willingly agree. That's ok if we have alternatives and users can choose.
Unfortunately, there are rumours telling us that social apps must work that way. We were told there is no alternative to a huge server farm providing services like social network apps.
That's not true. Internet is the daily proof since 1970. Internet allows communication between computers, laptops, mobile phones and all those upcomming Internet of Thing gadgets. Internet was designed as decentralized system. Data find their way as long as a single route exists between sender and receiver.
Why creating a bootleneck with those social network servers? Why must any message be routed over a single server? That's not the Internet idea.
Is it really normal and inevitable that users on a continent cannot exchange messages any longer if a server on another continent shuts down or is under a denial of service attack?
Internet technology gives a clear answer: Of course not; what an insanity ;) Internet would say: Choose another route.
And from a legal perspective: Is it really necessary or legal that our service provider literaly knows anything about any of our activities?
Embrace this: Each message is routed over a server. Server provider knows time, sender and receiver of each message. It's is not complicated to figure out location. Encryption makes no difference by the way.
Our data is the feed of that Big Data Analysis thing what became a major monetary fundament of a few numbers of huge IT companies. It's pretty obvious that those analysis results are valuable. Just have a look into the balance of one of the big IT concerns in that market.
That is not a complaint. It just an appeal: Be aware what we are doing. We should recognize the simple fact that the costs of social networks apps (and all those nice emoticons) are much lower than the worth of our communication behavior. We should continue doing that if we agree with that bargain.
SharkNet is a proof. It is a simple app, not even a sophisticated one. It has a release number lower than one. We haven't yet managed to support emoticons. There a still a lot of bugs in there.
But we are proud of it because SharkNet is a social app that works with the spirit of Internet: There is no server. The best data route is figured out each time a message is sent. We use spontaneous networks like Bluetooth and Wifi-direct if possible. We use e-mail. Choose your favorite (and trusted) mail provider. Change it as often as you like.
SharkNet is just an application. There is no SharkNet server, no SharkNet company. From a technical perspective, there is not even a SharkNet network. SharkNet is like human communication. We can talk when we meet. We can send letters or stick notes on our doors. That spans a human network.
SharkNet supports human networks instead of luring people into a Web application.
There is no business plan. And there is no SharkNet company. It is build at HTW Berlin with help of IFAF institute in Berlin, Scout24 and Cleopa GmbH. (Former) students implemented that piece of software with a lot of efforts and enthusiasm. Don't expect a perfect software.
Expect a proof instead. Expect a software that proofs an alternative.
- Social networks can work without a server.
- Social networks can comply to privacy.
- SharkNet can work even without Internet by routing messages over peoples SharkNet instances. That is helpful in reagions without an IT communication infrastructure. It leaves no traces in Internet at all.
We haven't yet thought about business plans. Social network analysis is not an options due to the lack of social network data. We like that :)
We know a lot of things which are not working. We appreciate any help and encouragement. Check that software out and let us know of failures. We try (!) to fix it soon. Or better: Join us, fork the project or just adopt/steel the idea. We think our IT world could use some alternatives.
Thomas Schwotzer Berlin / Germany
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasschwotzer/
https://www.xing.com/profile/Thomas_Schwotzer
https://www.htw-berlin.de/hochschule/personen/person/?eid=3665/
http://www.sharksystem.net