[p2p-research] personal server technology

[M. Fioretti]

On Sun, Feb 21, 2010 10:45:57 AM -0700, Matt Boggs (matt at digiblade.com) wrote:

> The problems facing what Stephen Downes suggest are as follows:
> first and foremost: Hardware\software failure. Your personal server
> (PS) would need a hefty but not unreasonable system requirement to
> compete with the ease of the 'cloud services'.

Right, running a server at home with vanilla, unreliable hardware is a
no-no. But Virtual Private Servers as those already available by
normal ISPs are the solution to that. Because an ISP can also be a
local, community owned ISP, that is somebody you can control a bit
more than some multinational with datacenters in another continent.

The only problem today is that most VPS offers are sized for big
websites, not for this kind of needs.

> And lastly, people. The common man wants a fuss free box they can
> simply plug in and out without a thought.

Right again, but:

1) creating a decent, graphical, integrated interface to manage, say,
   a personal server for blogging+email+chat+calendaring 100% built
   with Free SW already existing today is much simpler than it
   seems. If it hasn't happened yet is only because the companies
   running reliable datacenters (including the small ones, who would
   benefit the most from such a shift) don't get enough demand for
   this from single citizens.

1) the "common man" must grow up. With great power comes great
   responsibility, says Spiderman. If you want freedom and all what is
   behind "personal servers" you MUST take control, and deal with
   something that cannot be as "plug&play" as Gmail, Facebook or
   Flickr are today. A really "personal" server can and should become
   much simpler than it is today, but cannot be as simple to have as
   those other services. It's impossible. Those other services are so
   simple only because somebody there thinks and worries for you in
   exchange for your personal data, while keeping complete freedom to
   delete your data and files, or to put you offline "just because"