[1010100101]

Could it be that some or all of these things either already exist or are possible using existing "tools", but are simply not widely known nor in widespread use?

However statements like "all the features that we need or want" are troublesome. How can we possibly agree on those?

What if someone built the low-level, _boring_ "platform", and offered a _simple_ (as little code as possible), _old_, boring but workable conceptual vision, then let all the high-level enthusiasts address (argue about) usability and features?

[JonnieCache]

>However statements like "all the features that we need or want" are troublesome. How can we possibly agree on those?

That last one was the least important and the most flippantly stated (apart from the global mesh network.)

>What if someone built the low-level, _boring_ "platform", and offered a _simple_, _old_, boring but workable conceptual vision, then let all the high-level ethusiasts address usability and features?

That's exactly what's going (think positive!) to happen, having a p2p facebook is just the last piece of the puzzle, the cherry on the cake.

[1010100101]

Ah, that's good to know.

Now, sadly, I must ask, is someone going to try to make this proprietary and embedded, contained within hermetically sealed hardware enclosures, complete with convoluted bootloader and behavioural studies rootkit, to try to make billions from it?

To my knowledge the low-level part can happen right now using freely available code. Is it naive to think we could keep this simple and open?

Even the p2p FB piece is possible, assuming you do not need to have 1000's of friends on each of your separate social networks.

[bobwaycott]

  Now, sadly, I must ask, is someone going to try to
  make this proprietary and embedded, contained within
  hermetically sealed hardware enclosures, complete with 
  convoluted bootloader and behavioural studies rootkit,
  to try to make billions from it?

If the problem is submitted to the market, then yes. That's what the market and capital does. So sad.

It'd be great if the world's geeks would stop laboring for the fucking market, increasing the surplus value exacted from their labor, and winding up fucked by their own creations.

EDIT: formatting

[1010100101]

"winding up fscked by their own creations"

This would be easier to understand if you could provide an example.

Do you think this is a problem that should be submitted to the market?