UR@CTION HUB

NOVEMBER 7 2002

Free Distro

a. describe

- building a social community committed to contributing resources to the storage and distribution of materials of an independent and critical nature

- the tools to do this exist already; it is not a matter of a coding problem – although there is an issue with regards to the proprietary nature of some software. At the moment P2P the contents of filesharing systems and their patterns of usage reflect current market values; they also reflect the community’s failure to promote the sharing of alternative material over peer networks.

- Individuals and groups in different countries and movements have been thinking about this problem; GNU Global Vision presented a workshop at the Hackmeeting in Bologna this year; people in New York and Berlin have also participated in this discussion and approaching it from their own perspectives. The purpose of Freedistro.org is to extend co-operation between these different elements by sharing experiences and knowledge and, hopefully, resources.

- what are the tools? Existing P2P clients, specifically Edonkey. Why do we choose Edonkey?

1. Shared files on Edonkey generate a crytographic hash automaticallly. This hash is unique. Important because establishes the authenticity of the file so that when people download it, they can be assured of its veracity (that it is the file they were looking for and not a corrupted verision.)

2. This cryptographic hash allows the download to take place from multiple locations, thus increasing the speed at which a download is possible.

3. This process also means that even those who cannot store an entire file on their hard disk, because of space restrictions, can still play a useful role in the distribution scheme in general. Edonkey allows the sharing of partial downloads.

There are open Edonkey clients such as MLDonkey and Emule; there are also clients on the Gnutella protocol such as Gnucleus (a GPL’d client) and ShareReaza.

While some people may have heard of FreeNet, and believe it preferable, the FreeNet protocol is designed to optimise anonymity and not efficiency.

b. What We Will Have To Do

1. Outreach

Persuade people to provide the resources

These are: content, bandwidth and storage. What can we do to persuade people to share their resources?

- speaking to server owners and ‘home’ users - speaking to filmmakers and indepdent distributors

2. Portal

Establish a portal where new releases are logged and made public. Each release carries a description of its content, filesize, total length in minutes, and its unique cryptographic hash. These hashes can be made into weblinks of either the Edonkey or the Magnet type.These weblinks will launch searches within the client automatically provided it is already active.

Each weblink will be checked by the portal administering team to ensure that downloads are feasible and to verify the contents of the file. This task can easily be distributed.

3. Propagation

As part of this portal, a bulletin board will need to be established to coordinate the storage effort. This allows people to discuss who will download which parts of a file, and to where, while it propagates across the network. After some weeks the files can be removed from the orginal storage machines, since they will be replicated at other places. The original files can be dumped and burned onto CD, freeing up hard disk space and preserving backups for future reference.

A secondary task is the division of the original file into segments, so that lower storage client/servers can also participate. These segments can then be spliced together by the downloader.

4. Standardisation

Establish a set of protocols for the encoding of DivX or other compressed formats. Currently media residing on many P2P networks can be of low quality. Independent media distributors should be concerned to distribute their media at as high a quality as possible, but also to be aware of bandwidth issues. The portal will provide information on different coding rates and codecs, noting the implication for processor overheads on client side machines.

Wider Distribution

Organising co-distribution of CDs containing independent material, installers for P2P clients with clear instructions for their use – through magazines, journals and independent distribution networks (infopoints, etc.). This encourages people outside of the usual technological/social networks to participate.

Days of Free Culture and Knowledge (and the Subjugation of Science to Human Pleasure and Health)

Purpose

To give focus to: the diffuse acts of resistance against the terrorism of copyright currently being carried out as part of the everday life of million of ‘consumers’; the stranglehold of pharmaceutical and biotech companies over human health and society’s relationship to scientific development; The domination of our minds by mass media under corporate control (the media-industrial infotainment complex)

and

To socialise knowledge and technical expertise by creating spaces in which to enjoy sharing and enouraging the technically sophisticated to impart their skills to the broader community.

AND

To generate a forum where those involved in hitherto balkanised activity can find a language and broader context in which the similiarities of their struggles can be understood.

What is It?

A week-long carnival of excess fuelled by excessive acts of wanton generosity.

Practically, we need to decide a date.

We need to establish a portal where people can share ideas for actions and reports of acts already committed, crimes already perpetrated. It should also have a FAQ demonstating the egregious effects of the anti-social phenomena of property rights.

To persuade a wide range of groups in diverse areas of interest to participate. Everyone has knowledge and resources to share.

Assemble the necessary resources to assist those who do not yet know how to share in their sharing enterprise.

Activity Examples

- MP3, DVD trading, ripping - Scanning of text – free books - DNA sampling and GPLing - Install Linux on your neighbour’s computer - Free love - Free money - Direct actions against media corporations - Talks and workshops (e.g. progaganda about media ownership) - Knowledge sharing: non-proprietary pharmaceuticals

All activites to be determined by the participants (we would each have our own, for example). The free days of sharing should also recognise the value of small acts as well as those which are spectacular, public and political.

LIST INFO

http://www.jamie.com/mailman/listinfo/freedistro_jamie.com

or send message with ‘subscribe’ in header to freedistro@jamie.com

cadoe@snafu.de subtv@lists.nadir.org espanz@libero.it

0.2 add under portal The release portal will be built so as to allow user comment and peer evaluation of comments, facilitating discussion of content, quality of file and whatever other subject the community wishes.

- look at http://www.shortskinny.com/atomfilms.html

http://www.adobe.com/motion/features/mermell20000522/main.html

- metadata system to render explicit that material is to be recombined.