[sanity]

> the new freenet is a new, seperate network to the original

This is correct - while old and new Freenet both rely on a small-world network, they are very different and not compatible. Borrowing from our FAQ[1], the main differences are:

Functionality: The previous version of Freenet (now called Hyphanet) was analogous to a decentralized hard drive, while the current version is analogous to a full decentralized computer.

Real-time Interaction: The current version allows users to subscribe to data and be notified immediately if it changes. This is essential for systems like instant messaging or group chat.

Programming Language: Unlike the previous version, which was developed in Java, the current Freenet is implemented in Rust. This allows for better efficiency and integration into a wide variety of platforms (Windows, Mac, Android, MacOS, etc).

Transparency: The current version is a drop-in replacement for the world wide web and is just as easy to use.

Anonymity: While the previous version was designed with a focus on anonymity, the current version does not offer built-in anonymity but allows for a choice of anonymizing systems to be layered on top.

[1] https://freenet.org/faq#faq-2

[BlueTemplar]

Doesn't Java have the widest variety of hardware running it, thanks to its Virtual Machine ?

I can even remember my Motorola Razr being arguably (almost) a smartphone because, while a far cry from Symbian, it could already run Java applications ! (Notably, IIRC, Opera mini ?)

P.S.: Also, I tried Freenet about around that time too ! I'm a bit confused about this being a "new" project... why not naming it "Freenet 2" then ? Why did Freenet "1" had to change its name ??

[sanity]

> Doesn't Java have the widest variety of hardware running it, thanks to its Virtual Machine ?

Java has the advantage that you can run it on a wide variety of hardware platforms without recompilation, but it has largely failed to attain broad usage/support for desktop apps and so it's a bad choice for something like Freenet in 2024.

A systems programming language like Rust gives us a lot more control over things like memory allocation, allowing apps to be a lot more efficient. This is important with Freenet because we need it to run in the background without slowing down the user's computer.

Rust can also be compiled to run on all major platforms, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS, etc.

> P.S.: Also, I tried Freenet about around that time too ! I'm a bit confused about this being a "new" project... why not naming it "Freenet 2" then ? Why did Freenet "1" had to change its name ??

Using the name for the new software was a difficult decision and not without risk.

The "Freenet" name was never intended to belong to a specific codebase. From the start we viewed the original Java implementation as a prototype, which is one reason we never actually released version 1.0 (even 7 years after the project started we were still on version 0.7). At the time I had no idea that it would be over 20 years before I had a design I thought would be suitable, but here we are.

This new Freenet is the original concept but designed, not as a prototype, but as software that can gain broad adoption. In that sense it is the fulfilment of my original vision.

I did consider calling it Freenet 2, but these days not that many people have heard of the original, so on balance I believe it would have been confusing for the (hopefully) much bigger userbase we hope to reach.