Re: <nettime> Francesca Bria: Our data is valuable. Here's how we can take that value back

[Morlock Elloi <morlockelloi@gmail.com>]

On the intention side, DECODE is superb.

For example, in "D4 7_Privacy Interface Guidelines.pdf":

> 3.3 Privacy Design Considerations
> 3.3.1 User-Focused
> 3.3.2 User Control
> 3.3.3 Information and Device Context
> 3.3.4 Consent
> 3.3.5 Clarity and Understandability
> 3.3.6 Inform
> 3.3.7 Educate
> 3.3.8 Minimise the capture and display of data

Feels good.

More technical documents, other than recycling few Ethereum components, 
also have lots of good intentions. Some are antological tech PR - in 
"D1.4-first-version-of-decode-architecture-v1.0.pdf", on p.34:

.... "Smart Rules" in DECODE are compatible sociolect that can be parsed 
into a semantic model referred to a finite ontology and executed by a 
distributed computing cluster."

Unfortunately no existing CPU can execute good intention instructions.

The devil still resides in details. DECODE appears to be a customized 
Linux distribution that runs on VM, placed on multiple "nodes" that form 
some kind of cluster.

What do the end users actually get?

They *download* stuff onto their machines. Because they *trust* the 
sources of downloads, as the sources are run by nice people, not the 
other ones. On "D1.4-first-version-of-decode-architecture-v1.0.pdf", p.32:

> The wallet will be available as a standalone application that a
> participant can download to their device (either laptop or mobile
> device).

and a bit later on the same page:

> DECODE intends to provide tools and documentation to allow operators
> to host wallets on behalf of their existing users.

After the fluff is discarded, this is the good old "trust us" play, 
where a small group of "provably honest people that will never get 
subverted" dishes out stuff to the trusting user rabble.

Like a said, this is FB/GOOGL in NGO disguise, and the whole thing reeks 
of fraudsters on the government tit (apparently some with identity 
politics leanings ... I am white?) It is only natural that, after 
revealing what the current carriers of the surveillance capitalism 
really are, it will be re-packaged into politically correct "communal" 
cellophane.

----

I try not to get personal and do the ad hominem attacks - I had no idea 
about the project details when I wrote the first post in this thread, 
other than what was in the parent article itself. It turns out that I 
guessed right. As for the tech credentials, I wrote few compilers, few 
full crypto stacks, designed and operated distributed communication 
systems with millions of endpoints, etc.





> Ethernal cynico/critical approaches lead nowhere else, plus I find it
> very odd and grotesque to read white old men criticising the
> enthusiasm and achievement of a woman who has radically changed the
> way tech procurements are perceived in Barcelona and Europe.
>
> So you delude me morlockelloi and recently you are really flooding the
> mailinglist which is becoming less funny than usual. this is probably
> too technical and specialised for you, but I'll just post it here for
> anyone interested
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