Website listing donors to TOR system: We should contact them and ask for sponsorship, just like they did for TOR.

[jim bell]

 On Tuesday, October 22, 2019, 02:51:16 AM PDT, Zenaan Harkness <zen at freedbms.net> wrote:
 
 
 On Tue, Oct 22, 2019 at 07:11:09AM +0000, jim bell wrote:
> The following is a list of current sponsors, and a list of past
> sponsors, for the TOR project.   I think it would be a good idea if
> we contact them, stating we are aware of their current (or past)
> sponsorship of the TOR project, and tell them we intend to provide
> some long-needed friendly 'competition' to the TOR project.   And
> say that we would appreciate having the same per-node donations
> that they donated to the TOR project.
>
> I am probably not the best one to make this pitch, since my
> 'reputation' seems to be a bit 'tarnished'.    Okay, who here is
> the LEAST scandalous and outrageous?
>          Jim Bell


Jim, please read the updated README for IQNets here:
https://github.com/zenaan/iqnets/commit/17deff9f746825a469d3887d40038fc6ceafd830


Ok, I did, a good start.


>IQNets (formerly covfefe net), begins in your honour, and we are
collectively in sincere gratitude to you - your stand is perhaps hard
for most humans to comprehend.
Mostly, perhaps, because my story, and stand, was never publicly told.    The closest thing is my 2003 lawsuit.  https://cryptome.org/jdb/jdb-v-usa-ric.htm   But that was written, and published, three years too late for it to have changed minds.


>Someone should volunteer to write up your profile The Right Way,
since Wikipedia is a firetrucking wash out!

While, I agree...  One major problem is that Wikipedia purports to be an "encyclopedia", (a worthy goal, I suppose), and it insists on 'media' sources.   For obvious reasons, most such sources that are used are available on the Internet.   If it didn't hit the internet, and news organizations, generally it gets ignored by Wikipedia.  The big problem was that the (biased, already) news media simply never got MY story; it generally only received the story that the (mostly Federal) government wanted  everybody to hear.  So, due to Wikipedia's policy, anything generally positive to me would have to first be published by a news media organization.  Which, by and large, it never was. 
The Wikipedia article "Jim Bell" was in a dreadful state upon my release from prison December 19, 2009.  Those who seemingly 'controlled' it were not willing to see me correct it.  Fortunately, a friendly person who thought kindly of me corrected the most egregious errors and omissions.   Nevertheless, its remaining bias is primarily due to lack of media-sourceable information.   I occasionally jokingly point out that the information in that article tends to be ACCURATE, but nevertheless the article isn't UNBIASED, because it doesn't even start to tell my side of the story.  
The closest opportunity I had to getting a media friend was Declan McCullagh, who was apparently only willing to cover the story until the point where I was convicted.  He could do it now, especially due to the revelation of Ninth Circuit Appeal case 99-30210, but I think the Feds scared him away.  

>And when it comes to any donations, you are one of the few
individuals who would actually be trusted by myself and others, to
not agree to any compromize when receiving funds to support Tor competition.
'We thank you for your support!'


>I'm not sure who to speak to in the USA, perhaps Eben Moglen since he
supported Richard Stallman a lot? I'm in Australia, and e.g. an
Australian not for profit structure (we have a few here), is unlikely
to be useful for USA donators who want USA tax deductibility.

>I think seeking donations may be a little to soon, but I ABSOLUTELY
INSIST that you hold the authority on this front!

I should have been clearer as to why I suggested contacting these organization.   Obtaining funds is, of course, a good possibility, but even more important:  We want to be able to demonstrate why the whole TOR arrangement is rotten and corrupt.   Some of the organizations donating to TOR are merely carrying the Feds' water, but a few might not be.   Put yourself in their place:  Do they currently have an opportunity to support anonymized communication, other than TOR?   If they don't, let's give it to them.  
We have a major advantage in the fact that our intended network will likely be far more economical than TOR funding supports. This article shows that 2017 revenue for the TOR project is   https://www.secureworldexpo.com/industry-news/tor-government-funding-numbers   $4.2 million dollars.
What would a 6,000 node replacement for TOR cost?   Multiply by one-time cost of about $80 for the node hardware, and that's about $480,000.  If we could get a $20 monthly subsidy for Internet service for each node, that's $120,000 per month, or $1.44 million per year.  About one third of TOR.  (Such a subsidy would pay for an upgrade from a typical 40 Mbits/second node with limited monthly data, to a 1 Gigabit service with unlimited data.  Many people would jump on the bandwagon just for this perk.)
I want to contact these organizations, more to establish the ones who would FAIL to help us.  We can use such a list for fundraising.  We can say, "These organizations supported TOR for an unknown reason, but when they were given the opportunity to fund a true competitor to TOR, they punted and wouldn't help us.  Doesn't that tell you something about why they support(ed) TOR?



>One of the major problems in the past is that good men allow others
who may be [ younger | more zealous | more vocal | more bold | what
ever ], to assume authority.

>This broken dynamic has GOT to stop.

>Good men must be A) recognized, B) acknowledged, C) be willing to
actually hold, and exercise, power.

>If you wonder why every political system today is so rotten, re-read
the above!

>Jim, one of your jobs, is to establish a not-for-profit structure for
the receiving of financial donations.
I am certainly willing to participate, but I question whether I should be seen, by publicity, as "The Head Guy".  I could just as easily be "One of many".   

>You are known as an amazing individual with rare human rights and
stoic/ staunch credibility. Marketing that appropriately is almost
irrelevant (and is easy to do) - but the first fact is, you exist,
you are who you are, and I personally trust you (and no doubt, many
others do too).
Again, I appreciate your support.  But let's also find other people with less-tarnished reputations.  

>Real men gotta be alpha.

>You need help, you ask!

>I am personally only getting going on this, because of you, to
support you personally. I wanted to get going years ago, and really
wanted to handle other things a bit more for the next year, but we're
outta time, and you called, so here I am, answering your call! My own
contributions may be insufficient, but by the grace of our Creator,
it's what I have to offer. I am in service.

>Do not let me down by failing to hold your own authority, with
dignity, and firmly.

>Peace,

Okay, let's hear more ideas from other people, as well.
                        Jim Bell


  
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/html
Size: 11347 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://lists.cpunks.org/pipermail/cypherpunks/attachments/20191022/4e4f35fa/attachment.txt>