peer to peer global decentralized, distributed multi-media hypertext

[Thomas Lord]

   We have seen in cases like social media, Internet advertising, and so
   on the following examples of attacks on freedom (in no particular
   order):

   * CSS hacks that hide what is going on in a web page to fool users.

   * Javascript hacks that are non-free code and that spy on users, but
   without which various (dis-)services don't work.

   * The false security of a web that uses domain names as tokens of
   authority -- e.g. the ability of Facebook to track a person's use of
   the web in general, simply because they are able to store cookies keyed
   on the Facebook domain names.

   Many people have, as I think we all know, thought that distributed and
   decentralized systems are more liberating.   Mastadon is one example of
   a system that has achieved some success, starting from that idea.

   Has anyone explored a new approach to multi-media hypertext -- one not
   tied to centralized servers -- along the following, simple lines:
   A peer-to-peer network (each node linked by choice to specific,
   mostly-trusted peers)...

   Using rsync as the underlying transport mechanism...

   With established conventions about how to share the namespace, do links
   between separately published documents, etc. ....

   With display customizations (analogous to CSS) and active behaviors
   (Javascript) NOT embedded to content, but selected by users similarly
   to how people install and use Emacs Major Modes that they trust?
   Such a system seems like an obvious step and a timely one to me, but is
   anyone already doing it?  Would anyone like to start now?

   -t