Hi. I've been researching alternative Internet protocols and decentralized systems for a while, and I'd like to ask for guidance because I feel like I'm mixing a number of ideas and I still don't see a really viable architecture.
I'm interested in simple protocols like Gemini, Spartan, Gopher and especially Nex for their simplicity. I have also looked at other things like IPFS, Freenet, torrent, Reticulum and Yggdrasil. Nostr leaves me rather sceptical: I have read things about him, but his ecosystem seems to me to be very linked to the critical world and, in general, I do not see him as minimalist as I expected. Secure Scuttlebutt and Earthstar also draw my attention, but I honestly don't understand how they work or whether they could serve what I'm looking for.
What I'm trying to imagine is a modular, decentralized and censorship-resistant network, but it can also work on limited and old hardware, such as:
Nokia with Symbian,
devices with KaiOS,
Old PCs with Windows XP or light Linux,
and even, in some cases, consoles that can run Linux, such as Wii or PS2.
The idea is not to make a "perfect" system, but something realistic, useful and quite autonomous for people who do not have access to a modern or powerful machine.
What I'm trying to figure out
Transport layer
What interests me most is that the data can move over the Internet, but I would also like the system to be compatible with something like Reticulum, because the more options you have the better. I've also heard a lot about Yggdrasil, but I don't just see clearly what role I could play in this case.
- Content distribution layer
The most meaningful option here is torrent, but I have several problems with it.
When there are few seeders, the content becomes fragile and can easily disappear. In addition, publishing in a really anonymous way is complicated, because you usually end up exposing your IP if you want to share something directly.
Hypercore also interests me, especially for the idea of being able to add new content without deleting the above, something like a feed or a history only of additions. The problem is that he's very close to Node.js and Rust, and for what I have in mind that doesn't help me too much. IPFS seems slow and heavy to me, and Freenet doesn't even talk. My idea is about situations where there is no access to another more powerful machine, so depending on a proxy or an intermediate node is not what I'm looking for. I would like these limited devices to be as autonomous and independent as possible.
- Cryptography and anonymity layer
If you can, I'd like to include anonymity in some safe way. Not necessarily for everyone or for all uses, but it is a real option for those who publish content.
- Interface layer
The part visible to the end user I would like it to be very simple: a light browser type Nex, Gopher or Gemini that only download, decipher if necessary, cache and render text.
If there is multimedia, I would like it to be optional and separate, so that the system remains usable on very limited machines.
What worries me
Here are my main doubts:
How can a decentralized network be combined with extremely limited customers without forcing them to use proxies or intermediate machines?
What real options are there for the author to publish content anonymously without losing compatibility with old customers?
Can you design a system where the same content is accessible in various ways: anonymous, pseudonym and public?
What alternative to torrent would make sense if I wanted updates and not just fully static content?
Can Reticulum and Yggdrasil serve as transport, discovery or bridge between nodes, or do they not fit this goal?
Would Hypercore be better than torrent for updated content, or is it too heavy for this case?
What part of the problem is solved with hashes, signatures, DHT, webseeds, myrors or mutable pointers, and what part is not?
My background idea
The philosophy I have in mind is something like: if a team still works, it should still be able to access information and leisure without being forced to buy new hardware. I'm interested in a kind of modular and minimalist internet, designed to ensure that an old device is not excluded because of the ecosystem.
I'm not looking for something ideal in abstract, but an architecture that can really exist. If there are similar, experimental or partially useful projects, I would also like to know them.
Thank you in advance to anyone who can guide you on this.
