Novel distribution mechanisms (was: "s3 alternatives" on libtech)
Nathan of Guardian wrote:
Github? Maybe not whole sites, but specific files.
I've been working with users who have networks in censored countries to expand access to specific software bundles (not just Tor). My two approaches right now are Google Web Store and torrents attached to a stable offsite seedbox. Both are fairly accessible, but both have pros/cons. With torrents, someone can sit as a seeder and try to tally information on downloaders. Google Web Store downloads are tracked in unknown (legally requestable?) ways by Google and of course it requires downloading/installing Google Chrome to gain access.[1] It's not perfect, but at least for the user groups I talk to, they are realistic solutions to a really tricky problem. ~Griffin [0] cross-posted upon recommendation of David Fifield [1] most users can't figure out how to download extensions manually
On 03/07/2014 02:33 AM, Griffin Boyce wrote:
I've been working with users who have networks in censored countries to expand access to specific software bundles (not just Tor). My two approaches right now are Google Web Store and torrents attached to a stable offsite seedbox.
Have you looked into BitTorrent Sync? You can do semi-private (I believe) Dropbox-like Torrent shares, that could be provisioned based on emails or other requests from users. There is a really nice mobile BitTorrent Sync app, so I have particularly been interested in this as a means to distribute apps to Iran and China. +n
Nathan Freitas wrote:
Have you looked into BitTorrent Sync? You can do semi-private (I believe) Dropbox-like Torrent shares, that could be provisioned based on emails or other requests from users.
There is a really nice mobile BitTorrent Sync app, so I have particularly been interested in this as a means to distribute apps to Iran and China.
+n
I haven't looked into BitTorrent Sync, actually. But that sounds like it could be an improvement on torrent distribution (or at least an additional approach). I'm not sure to what extent user downloads are tracked via mobile phones in the target areas, but my assumption is 100%. Having said that, I'd like to know more -- and it makes absolute sense for something like Orbot to be distributed friend-to-friend via BlueTooth or something like BitTorrent Sync. ~Griffin gpg: 879B DA5B F6B2 7B61 2745 0A25 03CF 4A0A B3C7 9A63
On Fri, Mar 07, 2014 at 02:33:57AM -0500, Griffin Boyce wrote:
Nathan of Guardian wrote:
Github? Maybe not whole sites, but specific files.
GitHub is how Chinese users download GoAgent. It's a little weird, but they keep the binary right there in their source tree (goagent.exe). https://github.com/goagent/goagent/tree/3.0/local GitHub is great because it's HTTPS only, projects are subdirectories rather than subdomains (so no DNS poisoning), and it's important infrastructure that's difficult to block. David Fifield
David Fifield wrote:
GitHub is how Chinese users download GoAgent. It's a little weird, but they keep the binary right there in their source tree (goagent.exe). https://github.com/goagent/goagent/tree/3.0/local GitHub is great because it's HTTPS only, projects are subdirectories rather than subdomains (so no DNS poisoning), and it's important infrastructure that's difficult to block.
David Fifield
It would also be fairly trivial to create and maintain a repo just for newest TBB release and signatures. Not the fastest thing to `git clone` as a dev, but makes it possible for a user to visit the page and download a zip file for their language and the signature to verify it. Of course, if every project did this, it would change the equation a bit for censors, but we won't know until we try ;-) ~Griffin [0] this is a project that is *so* easy that someone could just go ahead and do it, but of course it's far better to have an official repo
participants (3)
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David Fifield -
Griffin Boyce -
Nathan Freitas