On 1/26/20 7:48 PM, Greg Newby wrote:
I just watched an informative talk from 36C3 by Julian Oliver: https://media.ccc.de/v/36c3-11008-server_infrastructure_for_global_rebellion
At around minute 28 he begins talking about the specific server software, datacenter hosting, and other aspects of their operational security implementation. This description goes to around minute 44, and then there is some Q&A that is also quite informative.
Nobody asked him why they didn't use TOR -- presumably it wasn't even a contender. For sysadmin activity they use VPNs to countries with strict data protection laws (Switzerland and Iceland are mentioned). Data partitions are encrypted, and they have various contingency plans in the event a server is seized.
At around minute 34, there is a list of the different software choices they made to support Extinction Rebellion. They chose alternatives to Slack, Google, Mailchimp, Zoom, etc. Some were found to be better than the better-known alternatives, and some were worse, for performance, scalability and usability. He mentioned that modern users are looking for something like a Google-based single sign-on, which is anathema to the anti-surveillance infrastructure they are focusing on.
The software and configuration choices are today's best-of-breed for making surveillance and seizure more difficult. This naturally includes not utilizing commercial solutions, and also naturally includes self-hosting the infrastructure.
ER is a global movement that is highly decentralized and, according to the first 28 minutes of the talk, is having an impact. This is primarily through non-violent actions. They mainly seek progress on combating climate change. https://rebellion.global or https://organize.earth for more info.
I wish them rots of ruck. Locally they chalk sidewalks (then a guy with a diesel powered steamcleaner comes to clean it up) and even though they do their thing at the downtown open air public street shopping mall, fail to EVER mention CONSUMERISM as one of the main planet destroyers emanating from consumer crapitalist industrial societies like toxic to all life spirochetes, and OF COURSE, ZERO mention of the Pentagon's environmental ravaging with the added 'bonus' of all those FILTHY Mil-Ind complex sites. For example, Watkins-Johnson in the 1980s, mil RF, which dumped hundreds of gallons of TCE into the well on their Scott Valley Ca site, PERMANENTLY TOXIFYING the local aquifer. Scotts Valley still gets it's water from Santa Clara. Listen. To Save the Environment, YOU have to do it! YOU YOU YOU! Telling other people they need to, or beg and plead and cajole your government, whose rich scumbag friends get filthy rich polluting everything they touch, it is fucking well worse than useless. Meanwhile, in Germany, a local town is in revolt about a Tesla manufacturing shithole https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tesla-gigafactory-germany-protests/youre-... Rr