I'm feeling very discouraged about the state of the internet today.
- Everyone's doing cloud this or phone that. They don't control their data or communications.
- My ISP's policies apparently forbid "servers", whatever that means. Could fly under the radar, but might get disco'd from the net at any time. (They already block inbound 80.)
- I'm not even sure how many people would bother using servers I host. Some of my techy friends, but not the everyday crowd. And this limits *my* options too.
I just poked around the site of the cool point-to-point radio ISP in the area and *they* apparently forbid servers as well. I did send them an inquiry as to how that jibes with their claim that they don't block any specific applications; how can you say you don't block specific stuff if you're blocking a whole class of specific things?
(I did make the case that that policy is particularly bad for their target market.)
Markets, shmarkets; all these monopolies and duopolies leave no room for free communication. I don't know if it's politically possible, but dammit I want some regulation saying "no, internet access is internet access" and all they get to do is block attacks and enforce caps/pro-rata billing.
I wish the answer were "make our own internet" but it's *not happening*. I don't get to talk to my friends across the ocean via a handful of WAPs running clever mesh firmwares. We need to fix the internet we have. And I think that has to involve political change.
@varx Mesh networks solve the last mile issue, but they don’t replace long haul trunks. In a pinch you can MacGyver a solution out of either satellite or shortwave radio links(shortwave only if you’re really desperate and don’t mind losing 99.999% of your network capacity, but it would work in a pinch)