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Cypherpunks Writecode 20161112

Cypherpunks Write Code - Protecting Online Privacy

Speaker: Steve

Date: 2016.11.12

Basis: Cypherpunks Manifesto - Eric Hughes (2003)

See quote from this about writing software.

Motivation

  1. Complacency
  2. Available Applications
    • Whatsapp owned by facebook, hard to know about tampering
    • Signal
    • 2/3 of Tor users have left since 2013 fall
      • 2-3 million out of billions of internet users
  3. PRISM Partners and what they collect (Apple, Facebook, Google, etc.)

One Possible Solution

  1. Cypherpunks writing code
    • Regular hackathons with ~2 official projects for each
  2. Designers Contributing
    • More useable software (than historic cypherpunk work)

Project Requirements Idea

  1. Open Source
  2. Project must include well defined tasks for us to do
    • Github issues, openness in allowing anyone to contribute to issues
  3. Project representative should be in attendance (virtual or physical)
  4. Represenative helps guide efforts and also attend event
  5. Represeentative should:
    • motivate why their projec is important
    • and which features are a priority

Shout Out: DESIGN == GOOD

  1. Lets appreciate good design!
  2. Snowden / Greenwald could barely figure out PGP
    • Project maintainer said 'screw that guy he should have figured it out or gone away'

Project Discussion: Which projects deserve our attention?

  1. Online Discussion
  2. Wiki
  3. Dymaxion: Please Stop Writing Messaging Apps
    • Contains 24 other ideas for Cypherpunk apps