We are now witnessing a quite interesting phenomenon called crypto anarchizm. It calls itself a movement for privacy and freedom of speech, however, the main weapon chosen by crypto anarchists are not protests or demonstrations, but math algorithms and coding. SPEAR’S Russia magazine takes a look at the most important manifests of the cryptoanarchy, in fact, some of them were written before the Internet gained its global popularity.
A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace
by John Perry Barlow
Governments of the Industrial World, you weary giants of flesh and steel, I come from Cyberspace, the new home of Mind. On behalf of the future, I ask you of the past to leave us alone. You are not welcome among us. You have no sovereignty where we gather.
We have no elected government, nor are we likely to have one, so I address you with no greater authority than that with which liberty itself always speaks. I declare the global social space we are building to be naturally independent of the tyrannies you seek to impose on us. You have no moral right to rule us nor do you possess any methods of enforcement we have true reason to fear.
…
Cyberspace consists of transactions, relationships, and thought itself, arrayed like a standing wave in the web of our communications. Ours is a world that is both everywhere and nowhere, but it is not where bodies live.
We are creating a world that all may enter without privilege or prejudice accorded by race, economic power, military force, or station of birth.
We are creating a world where anyone, anywhere may express his or her beliefs, no matter how singular, without fear of being coerced into silence or conformity.
…
We will create a civilization of the Mind in Cyberspace. May it be more humane and fair than the world your governments have made before.
Davos, Switzerland
February 8, 1996
The Crypto Anarchist Manifesto
Timothy C. May
A specter is haunting the modern world, the specter of crypto anarchy.
Computer technology is on the verge of providing the ability for individuals and groups to communicate and interact with each other in a totally anonymous manner. Two persons may exchange messages, conduct business, and negotiate electronic contracts without ever knowing the True Name, or legal identity, of the other. Interactions over networks will be untraceable, via extensive re-routing of encrypted packets and tamper-proof boxes which implement cryptographic protocols with nearly perfect assurance against any tampering. … The State will of course try to slow or halt the spread of this technology, citing national security concerns, use of the technology by drug dealers and tax evaders, and fears of societal disintegration. Many of these concerns will be valid; crypto anarchy will allow national secrets to be trade freely and will allow illicit and stolen materials to be traded. An anonymous computerized market will even make possible abhorrent markets for assassinations and extortion. Various criminal and foreign elements will be active users of CryptoNet. But this will not halt the spread of crypto anarchy.
…
A Crypto-Decentralist Manifesto
Blockchains are going to rule the world, providing a mechanism for scaling social and economic cooperation to an unprecedented level — a truly global scale. Such cooperation will involve not only human beings, groups and associations but also a growing multitude of increasingly independent artificial agents.
…
We decentralists are committed to keeping blockchains open, neutral and immutable. We’re committed to keeping blockchain systems decentralized. This informs all our actions and positions towards any developments in the crypto world and beyond. All attempts to violate any of the key blockchain characteristics should be fought. All changes to a blockchain’s rules that introduce new centralization risks or strengthen existing ones should be fought. Only developments that are clearly beneficial to decentralization or strengthen the three key blockchain characteristics should be supported and encouraged.
The blockchain revolution won’t be centralized. Let’s make sure of it. Onward.
Naval @naval Twitter Manifest
20/ Blockchains are a new invention that allows meritorious participants in an open network to govern without a ruler and without money.
Viktor Shpakovsky, Tokenbox Co-founder and Managing Partner
The first users, the pioneers are usually interested in developing the network, as the value of network increases according to the number of users. Therefore in every community, a decentralized network community included, a trust is what initially works. Then, fast enough, come the scammers. These, from my perspective, include 90% of people doing tokesales.
The first users, who were mainly network founders and developers, obviously wanted to experiment, to solve the problems that programmers and network architects had never faced before. It is possible that the very mechanism of validating code changes by independent nodes, the so called consensus mechanism, was the most interesting problem for them. Searching for consensus in decentralized networks without having someone who sets the rules or conditions — is the feature that those geeks could have been interpreting as freedom, but not anarchy.
Another crucial element is transparency, when every action within the network is accessible for every user. But the transparency of data doesn’t override the anonymity. No regulation is really helpful when a user wants his data to be transparent, but anonymous.
As of now a mutual payment is the most clear option of the decentralized network.
In my concept of an international digital monetary system, in this case controlled by the state, I specified some crucial state and interstate functions. The first one is a monetary function, which confirms and executes the exact set of rules of economy subjects interaction, as well as interaction between objects. The second one is a fulfilment of obligations between the subjects, which implies a digitalization of property rights.
Creators of the first decentralized networks made weaknesses and strengths of a blockchain technology clear for a majority of people, for the business community and even for the leading countries. Whatever happens on the path of the decentralized networks further development, they will definitely take their place within public relations.
As for the Internet censorship, it is only vindicated when it comes to protecting children from an explicit content. But I’m pretty sure this must be some kind of a parental control. Such options are now available on every device, nevertheless we are literally surrounded by various possibilities to circumvent any ban. Thus the censorship limitation are considered to be a complete waste of money and time.
As for the neutrality it is all about the accuracy of the information. It’s all about the decentralized media, i.e. Golos and Steem. This is what specifically matters in the world where media use fake news and propaganda methods to manipulate the public opinion.
Orinal article in Russian: http://pbwm.ru/articles/set-svobody
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