@happybeing I completely agree with you that what we need to do is head of negative stigma. I was using BitMessage the other day, and my fiance asked what it was.
“It’s this mail service that uses everyone’s computers to help send messages, instead of just keeping your mail all on one server. It’s potentially safer than keeping your stuff on a server that might get hacked or whatever.”
“So you’re helping pass messages around?”
“Yeah.”
“So there’s other people’s mail on your computer?”
“Yeah, sort of. Momentarily, but I can’t read it.”
“So what if someone is sending child porn or terrorist messages? There could be child porn on your computer? Then you’re helping move child porn!”
And that, right there, is the thought process of the majority of people. “Am I helping bad people to hurt innocent people?”
But as we all know, the post office could be moving drugs and CP. I could be using a dollar that was used for an assassination. But we disconnect from it because we’re not present for the event. I’m not helping to deliver US post mail, so I don’t care. But if I’m involved in the process, things change. That’s the difference, I think.
I like the suggestion of setting up donation services and such, do admirable work to show the power of the network. Don’t tell people why they’re stupid for being worried about CP, or tell them “It’s the price of freedom!” It’s aggressive, argumentative, and counter-productive.
I mentioned this somewhere else, but what’s stopping me from writing an application on my computer that just creates hundreds/thousands of accounts, and then just manages those accounts? A file system manager that treats the thousands of accounts like one master account to the end user. Then I distribute that app for free. Think of a Bitcoin wallet managing multiple addresses, but instead its Maidsafe tokens/accounts.
If you create something like that, and if it’s extremely easy to use, people would choose that over paying for space. I know I would.
Is there a topic for this? Seems like a hugely important discussion.