[Freedombox-discuss] http://politics.slashdot.org/story/11/07/18/0153204/Security-Consultants-Wa rn-About-PROTECT-IP-Act

[John Walsh]

Hi Ted,
I am expressing my personal opinion and do not speak for FBF.
> 
> I think that the mistake being made most on this mailing list 
> is the tendency to devise solutions to complicated problems. 
> Sadly, this is just not a thing that can be done on a mailing 
> list. If the FreedomBox project exists to integrate existing 
> software, devising solutions to complicated problems is 
> wholly outside the scope of the FreedomBox. I wonder why such 
> discussion is encouraged on this list when there are so many 
> better places to go for it.
 
I think people are devising solutions to complicated problems because AFAIKT
the software in the "FBF Is/Is Not" mail lists Debian solutions that do not
exist today;
  ## Facilitates secure, anonymous and private chat and messaging
  * Is the nerve center of your distributed social network.
  * Is a platform for federated social networking.
  * Is a platform for distributed collaboration.
Do you know Debian software solutions for these requirements?
> 
> I don't know if I haven't looked hard enough, but the only 
> thing I remember seeing from the FBF was a list of things the 
> FreedomBox is/is not. I don't remember seeing a set of tasks 
> made to package Debian software to do all the things the FBF 
> want the FB to do, or a list of Debian packages that already 
> exist but need better default configuration files, or 
> actually, anything being done. I can put an equal part of the 
> blame for this on myself, since I haven't done anything 
> towards these goals, but it's distressing that in such a 
> high-profile and obviously popular project, nobody seems to 
> have taken the low-hanging fruit.
> 
I have also heard Eben say the software already exists except for mesh
networking, but I think there is a lot more missing than mesh networking.
Happy to be corrected. 

I agree with you that the initial release of FreedomBox should contain
existing "low hanging fruit" software, such an encrypted email and VOIP. It
would be nice to at least see a low-hanging fruit roadmap from TAC.