notes VS Peergos

Is there an easy way to comply with an accountable IPFS block list?

"Implement Allow Lists and Block Lists" (2018) https://github.com/ipfs/notes/issues/284

"IPIP 298: (allow|deny)lists for IPFS Nodes and Gateways" (2022)

As for general gateways, those could be used to pull general illegal content against your will, and allow/block lists were discussed at one point for that reason (https://github.com/ipfs/notes/issues/284). However, in the interim, there is a config option Gateway.NoFetch that causes a gateway not to fetch new content, giving you an allowlist if you also have the content you want to share pinned beforehand.

> IPFS is basically the answer to the question "what is the RIGHT way to decentralize the web?"

There is no RIGHT way to decentralize the web. I don't think IPFS is right way to do it either.

Tim Berners-Lee's Solid (https://solid.mit.edu/) offers a much more practical path to a decentralized web. The advantages with Solid's approach over IPFS is that:

- Solid doesn't throw out what we already have, and recommend a new layer on top of the internet. Example: ipns

- Solid handles access control which pretty much every application needs. Encryption is btw, a poor substitute for access control. https://github.com/ipfs/notes/issues/376

- Solid has the ability to revoke access (very important), delete data

- Solid can work in browsers without extensions.

- Solid is not muddied with talk of the Blockchain. It's disappointing that the cryptocurrency has very nearly hijacked this space.

- Solid is conceptually simple. You own a pod that has a unique address (using familiar schemes). You put your stuff on it and allow access to people; like DropBox but standards based. Companies can offer paid hosting services to run your pod - more space, bandwidth etc.

- IPFS is not commercialization friendly.

- IPFS performance is unlikely to be great, ever.

Disclosure: I am invested in an open protocol similar to Solid, but simpler. So not entirely unbiased.

This, and a bunch of side issues linked from it, is a good discussion: https://github.com/ipfs/notes/issues/281

IPFS is not anonymous and like other p2p protocols shares your ip address.

There's been a bit of effort to get it working over tor for years now but the fundamental design makes this difficult. Also despite all the money that has poured into filecoin this doesn't seem to be a priority.

This issue is nearly 6 years old:

https://github.com/ipfs/notes/issues/37

As I see, this is an open issue to be implemented natively in IPFS: https://github.com/ipfs/notes/issues/339

A good Dropbox alternative is Peergos (founder here). Peergos is an E2EE P2P storage, sharing and application protocol. Fully open source, including the server, self-hostable, no VCs.

https://peergos.org

You can do that with peergos [1]- mount a peergos folder locally using FUSE. Or login to the web interface and share easily and privately.

[1] https://github.com/peergos/peergos

You might be interested in the p2p design of Peergos. You sign up to Peergos[0]. Your initial server is just responsible for storing your data (although you can run as many live mirrors as you like), and clients verify all updates. You can automatically move server (by running a command) and all your data is moved, and old links continue to work, and you keep your social graph and identity.

You can also log in through any instance, including localhost. Links also work on any server because they include a capability to the content in the link.

This is the beauty of content addressing plus public key based addressing.

[0] https://peergos.org

Totally agree! Shameless self promotion: have a look a Peergos - https://github.com/peergos/peergos

Our tech book might be a better starting point for this group: https://book.peergos.org

https://peergos.org

https://book.peergos.org

https://github.com/peergos/peergos

Features:

* audited by Cure53

* protects metadata (directory structure, file name and properties, file sizes, social graph)

* fine grained capability-based access control

* built-in social media

* sandboxed 3rd-party apps: e.g. word doc viewer, calendar, text editor, games etc.

* FUSE bindings

* CLI

* cross platform

* browser client

I use Peergos[0] for E2EE storage, doc editing, sharing media, calendar, kanban boards and social media. (Disclaimer: I also work on Peergos).

[0] https://peergos.org