Linyos Torovoltos wrote: > Such are the severe consequences for a regime that ignores the threat > posed by the introduction of widespread, mainstream free expression > and association. Thus, when regimes come to face that threat in > Freenet, their countermeasures will be equal to the threat we pose. > > This concludes my most important (and, apparently, controversial) > argument: that Freenet can never take root under a tyranny. On the > contrary, it will lead to the institution of an Orwellian national > technology programme, to ensure that no computer technology will ever > again serve the cause of freedom.
We were just discussing this topic last week at the anonymous communication workshop in Dagstuhl. The main consensus seemed to be that Freenet can't do anything for people in truly draconian regimes (for example, where the state is willing to just turn off the Internet and confiscate all computers). However, in countries that are interested in economic development, Freenet can serve to make the government's choices harder. If the existence of Freenet forces them to clamp down on computer technology, they will lose some of its economic benefits and (perhaps) provoke additional unrest. That's a kind of victory too. theo
