Has anyone thought about buying several raspberry pi devices ($25 arm linux computers) and having them stragically placed around the globe running as bbs nodes for when Obama's new SOPA law tries to shut down free speech? This is the s the only way we can ensure communication remains free as the expansion of powerline broadband is designed to minimize the efforts of ham operators

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Re: Raspberry Pi
By: iretch to All on Wed Jan 11 2012 03:07:00

Has anyone thought about buying several raspberry pi devices ($25 arm linux computers) and having them stragically placed around the globe running as bb nodes for when Obama's new SOPA law tries to shut down free speech? This is s the only way we can ensure communication remains free as the expansion of powerline broadband is designed to minimize the efforts of ham operators

The Raspberry Pi shows some promise for price + features, but you could also make a BBS out of microcontrollers and components already on the market, among other low-power devices. You mentioned ham radio, and as an example many packet radio TNCs have basic built-in BBSs that can do basically what you describe. Also, many packet BBSs are on VHF and UHF which IIRC are not as affected by BPL. (HF nodes could however be fewer and farther between, albeit with tighter bandwidth constraints.) Something like the Pi would of course allow for a more full-featured system.

At a glance, SOPA's language seems to target The Internet specifically. Thankfully the uptake on something like your proposed network wouldn't be huge anyway; if it became popular enough, legislation would be amended/introduced to include any sort of "online service". Not to mention if any node did decide to make itself accessible via The Internet (it could and would happen) new complications could arise surrounding definitions of terms as they currently stand in legislation.

I'm also not sure that a POTS or radio BBS would be immune to search and seizure even if there is no legislation specifically targeting it - which for all I know there may be. IIRC sysops have had their gear seized in the past.

All that said, it's a good concept that already exists in one form or another, and I'd be happy to participate in that sort of project.

echicken
electronic chicken bbs - bbs.electronicchicken.com - 416-273-7230

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Re: Raspberry Pi
By: iretch to All on Wed Jan 11 2012 03:07 am

Has anyone thought about buying several raspberry pi devices ($25 arm linux computers) and having them stragically placed around the globe running as bbs nodes for when Obama's new SOPA law tries to shut down free speech?
This is the s the only way we can ensure communication remains free as the expansion of powerline broadband is designed to minimize the efforts of ham operators

Well, I hadn't thought about that idea exactly, but I have done a lot of thinking about uses for the Raspberry Pi, as well as about mesh network and other solutions to government/corporate censorship of the Internet (including a packet radio FTN...). I guess I'm curious as to how you propose to actually put in the networking infrastructure...packet radio seems a bit cumbersome... Just pop them on the Internet and use SSH with a fairly locked down configuration? Wireless mesh? There seem to be scaling problems with just about every solution I've seen thus far, ESPECIALLY with the lack of POTS telephone lines these days...

cykros
Discordia BBS: An apple a day keeps the goddess at play...fnord. telnet://discordia.dyndns.info

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Re: Raspberry Pi
By: Cykros to iretch on Sat Jan 14 2012 05:31 pm

configuration? Wireless mesh? There seem to be scaling problems with just about every solution I've seen thus far, ESPECIALLY with the lack of POTS telephone lines these days...

yea, we cant use modems well with fiber lines.
Matt Munson ~ Ontario California ~ http://www.inlandutopia.com

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iretch wrote to All <=-

@VIA: VERT/YOSPOS3
@MSGID: <4F0D5162.1567.general@290.ath.cx>
Has anyone thought about buying several raspberry pi devices ($25 arm

What are these types of devices and where do I get one?

linux computers) and having them stragically placed around the globe running as bbs nodes for when Obama's new SOPA law tries to shut down
free speech? This is the s the only way we can ensure communication remains free as the expansion of powerline broadband is designed to minimize the efforts of ham operators

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