Re:moji, sketches (zaibatsu), 01/02/2019
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moji's "sketechs on computational culture[1]" was entirely
stimulating and refreshing, a pleasure to read! Here are a
few related thoughts:
On squatting:
The bit about squatting was interesting (section iii.) I had
no idea that sort of activity was legal in the UK in the 80s
and 90s. While I can imagine how the loss would hurt the
community, I do question what the benefits of outlawing it
would be: was the kind of squatting in question coupled with
drug abuse or other illicit activity that harms society?
What was it that law makers were attempting to "fix" by
outlawing the behavior?
In the US things vary by state, but this does make me think
of the "squatters rights" that I've read about in Arizona
and Missouri. In both of these states (unless one has
changed recently) a squatter may use someone elses land, and
if they "get away with it" (i.e. no one files a complaint
against their use of the land) for a period of 10 years,
they can actually claim ownership of the land. While I am
philosophically for the real ownership of property, this
concept of squatters rights does not offend me. If I'm so
far removed from my land that I don't know what is going on
with it for a period as long as 10 years, and during that
entire time someone else has made use of the land where I
had done nothing, then let it pass to them and let it be
theirs. They've "conquered" my land, in that case, which is
quite interesting.
On self-hosted stability:
The same thought about ISP's limiting connectivity for
financial reasons had occurred to me when I setup the red
consensus[2]. The conclusion that I came to- which was based
on something someone in the gopher ether wrote a while back-
was that it didn't matter. I am offering the red consensus
right now, at this moment in time, and that is all I can do.
It is not within my power to guarantee that the service will
be available forever, without interruption, nor do I wish it
to be in my power. The ephemeral nature of the thing is part
of the intrinsic nature of the thing, by design.
This brings to mind the concept of the desire for survival.
While I'm breathing, and while my projects hold interest, I
will desire for them to survive. My ISP limiting port 70
would perhaps kill the red consensus for a time, but I would
rise up to defend it, if the desire was there when that
happened. I would use another port, or setup a different
server, or bend to my ISP's demands, and the red consensus
would continue on. It would be up to each individual to
deal with the attacks as they came, and either come out
victorious or not.
Which is all just a wordy way of saying: it's OK if
commercial interests attempt to quash and suppress us. Let
them try; we rose up from where we were, and we can do it
again.
[1] gopher://zaibatsu.circumlunar.space:70/0/~moji/phlog/20190101-sketch1.txt
[2] gopher://redcon.dimensionless.space:70/1/