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Comment by scommab | Hacker News Reader

Does anyone know how this compares to Freenet? The FAQ talks about it a bit [ https://gnunet.org/faq/10 ] but for example, I don't understand what "Economics" means in this context?

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With Freenet, you allocate storage, and content gets distributed throughout the network based on popularity. It's designed so that it is impossible to know what is in even your own store. Files must be "inserted". You can't really perform a search.

If GNUnet is like other file sharing, you share files while you are online, responding to searches and transferring files that are requested.

Yes. It is also worth mentioning that GNUnet is designed to be a secure framework, making it more than just the core of another P2P program. For instance it potentially might be used as the basis for other functions such as chat or VoIP without reinventing all of the low-level transport stuff. With GPL licensing it is likely to evolve as people imagine new enhancements.

Short and giving a clue as to function and freedom the name seems a good choice to me. The (GNU) GPL insures that the users and community will not be restricted from making their own fixes or enhancements. I think it is misleading when some refer to a permissive license as restrictive. You're given permission to do practically anything to the code for your own use, and basically have permission to distribute it to others too as long as you DON'T impose new restrictions on them.

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