Watching this recent video about FreeNet with Ian:
This is project that went throught a lot of changes. In the current reincarnation is the concept of launching "apps" into the network that anyone can run when they need them. The obvious limitation: storage.
Where is data going to be kept?
It is OK for a few MB but when someone starts ofsetting TB of data into my hard-drives then that becomes a problem. In the world-view from Ian there is a transition from Dictatorship (centralized servers) to Feudalism (decentralized servers) into total freedom (no-servers).
The concept is beautiful but in my opinion feudalism works not just because you can keep people out but also because you can people and data inside, to protect them.
In my world-view there is libertarian feudalism: my phone means my server and my data. A local and private world where I can decide how, when and what to share with others.
This is an important distinction because the real-world has doors and walls. Sure they can be misused and everyone can point bad cases but they were also the survival mechanism for many villages and respective famillies when having to live in a very hostile society.
Your phone. Your data.
That is the principle we apply at
geogram
When the internet goes down, Geogram keeps going. Direct device-to-device communication without servers, accounts, or infrastructure you don