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WebCivics / WebizenAppPOCMk1-Beaker_Solid

Integration of Beaker Browser & Solid (Electron Project)
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Web Civics - Desktop App Project

This Browser Project aims to create an Application and Personal Cloud Application Environment; which is thought to require some web-server code / support also. This readme is an early draft!

i'm also not sure if the approach (using electron) is the right way of going about it in the short-term (in the long-term, its more likely that RUST implementations will be made to support #Webizen related functionality)

Web Civics Discord Group

This repo currently has both Beaker & solid Node Server (not integrated yet).

The project will eventually package the libraries required to support locally run decentralised 'web apps', with a focus on semantic web based apps - as well as decentralised protocols, starting with hypercore protocol and DAT.

Requirements

Basic WebHost Functionality (and networking)

In-order to make Decentralised HTTP protocols (as required by 'solid' like solutions) work fairly independently from consumer 'cloud' providers; users will need a 'fully qualified domain name' (a domain name) that supports TLS (SSL) and an ability to make use of at least 1 Static Public IP (focus is on IPv6). As such, solutions are being explored about how to provide this.

The intended users of this software in the short-term are those involved with the development of 'webizen' technology solutions, alongside other experimenters, technical persons and those they work with on projects that seek to support outcomes for the public good (and productivity) via the use & development of technology.

Consequentially; it is thought that many who will make use of the early versions of this browser; will already have a domain name and some sort of web-hosting environment, alongside the skills required to install whatever the server-side of this solution required.

For others (including those who want to create an independent environment), a guided 'set-up' process is sought; whereby,

Requirements & Objectives inclulde;

  1. Establish requirements for 'web-id' ecosystem (which requires TLD, SSL, Static IP / DyDNS support for desktop env.)
  2. Support Domain related services (including Email & WWW)
  3. Advance to support API for personal websites (ie: Static or LAMP, such as Wordpress)

Objective is to provide a solution that provides sufficient value for end-users whilst reducing the costs as much as is practical, however the use of this 'point of presence' may grow for some users overtime.

Unanswered Questions;

Future Questions

Project is required to either;

"Webizen Desktop App" functionality

The 'app' is built upon beaker browser thereby incorporating 'solid' (SemWeb) technology to provide a private, personal 'hyper-media' proof of concept 'read-write' 'web-platform' with basic AI capabilities. The primary purpose of this project is to demonstrate a different style of 'information management ecosystem' and to act as an environment to produce webizen technology cooperatively with others.

Research and Development Tasks include;

Apps to be 'built in-to' the application

'Semantic-Web' powered apps work, using various methodologies produced via w3c community groups and related projects over past decades; function very differently to the way other 'apps' work. Whilst the webizen project incorporates many future - far more advanced - objectives; the initial purpose of this project, is to create an environment to suppport the means for people to engage with one another; both socially, in a way where they're supported to both own a copy of their own data (and/or control how their information is consumed); alongside being able to engage with one another, particularly in areas relating to 'work' related pursuits (ie: not 'entertainment', 'recreation' or 'sleep').

These activities include;

  1. Research
  2. Learning & Study
  3. Socialisation
  4. Communications
  5. Creation of new Content Artifacts
  6. Curating 'knowledge' (classified information - ie: fiction / non-fiction / opinion / news / satire / etc.)

In-order to support these sorts of activities; the following sorts of 'applications' are required;

'Permissive Commons'

Permissive Commons is about the decentralisation of 'commons' assets; in a manner, that supports temporal considerations, version control and access control management (Read, Write, Append, Modify). This is an important requirement to support various AI requirements in a manner that is considerate of various social factors.

Permissive commons systems are thought also to be the method to produce solutions that support various forms of socio-economic logs / 'currencies' that can in-turn be used for accounting purposes.

About the Webizen Project

The webizen project seeks to invent a new type of computing environment that is intentionally designed to operate in a manner that is very different to common-day computing (and enterprise 'cloud services') today.

Some insights about the history of the continuing diversity between 'mainframe' environments and the development of those sorts of environments; and the development of inter-personal computing alongside related considerations overtime as they in-turn inter-relate with the long-term development of the web, as is illustrated in the many links provided by the timeline including the www94 presentation by Tim Berners-Lee about The Future of the Web.

So, the Webizen project is in-effect working towards creating a new type of 'operating system' or 'Information Technology Platform' that takes into consideration many changes that have occurred; and a particular approach that i started working on in the late 1990s, that has evolved a great deal since, that is overwhelmingly focused on support for Human Rights and Related Values being employable, to support the needs of humanity and in-effect, the requirements that we have, but are not otherwise provided - to support peace.

In-order to produce future works, that will involve alot of time, creativity, expertise, effort and resources; there is a need to create a 'mission critical' environment that provides the required foundational 'environment' needed to further develop these ecosystems.

As such; this project, is seeking to be part of how a solution to that problem is able to be delivered.

Note: The implications of Decentralisation

There are many implications brought about as a consequence of the way decentralised applications - work. Yet, it is difficult to have a good / sensible / productive conversation about these sorts of implications; if no-one has seen or used applications that work in ways that are different to both desktop & 'cloud' apps today.

See Timeline Presentation of selected historical notes from the beginnings of apple, NeXT & the start of the World Wide Web, through to present day works in progress (inc. solid).

Resources Repo

See Both Historical & recent solid related projects via this link.

As part of the 'hyper media library' project an array of resources can be found via this peace infrastructure project library, which i hope to convert into a 'hyper media library' via this project.

Background (inc. pre-W3C works)

Whilst i was working to find funding to build a computer that worked on a TV; In 2000, i thought of how synaptic nerve cells works and applied some ideas about how to manage 'online data storage' leading to my starting work on my idea of an 'information bank or iBank which then led to my first start-up basedrive which became a messy situation. Work on the underlying concept continued, which led to experiences in various related fields; however, in 2010 circumstances made it abundantly clear to me that there were wide-spread and broadly accepted corruption issues, that had very significant human rights implications upon the most vulnerable in society. By that time, the technologies had developed significantly as had my research and development related outcomes; as i found myself in a moral position of having little choice other than to make the sacrifices involved and work to deliver the technology related requirements our societies so clearly needed, to ensure the protection of fundamental values. Some artifacts / publically published past works are available via my google-drive folder, webizen.net.au, Medium via webcivics alongside various other examples, etc.

With respect to how private citizen engage in the development of international web-standards; the process is 'freely available' (meaning, contributors fund the cost of contributing works, that may (if successful) end-up with royalty free patent-pool supported 'web standards'; these works are done, in components - so different groups, focus on different 'parts' which are in-turn intended to be able to be 'integrated' at a later stage (ie: HTML + CSS + RDF + Sparql, etc.)

Background about 'Solid'

The 'Solid' story, was originally supported via the rww, but also known as Cross Cloud which had some apps that worked at that time. Some old RWW Documents & a video about Cimba, which was one of the very first functional RWW Apps are located in this Google Folder.

Yet, it was relatively early days, indeed seemingly before the solid.mit.edu website was started. At the time, RWW (now called solid) only used webid-tls and the works on rww, webid and in-turn also - Web-Payments where the requirements to improve 'capabilities' (putting it simply) for what was then called RWW, led to the creation of credentials and in-turn various other related projects.

My video from 2016

As was created for the Trust Factory Conference 2017 See: Trust Factory 2017 Videos via YouTube

Tim Berners-lee demonstrating Solid at DWeb Summit 2018

Tim Berners-lee demonstrating Solid at DWeb Summit 2018

Community Issues

The process of doing this work, has been extrodinarily difficult. I am sad to say, that there are many whom were involved in my journey who are no longer with us. As the early works, particularly the work on 'verifiable claims' / 'credentials', which had the implied consequence of anti-money-laundering applications - amongst the many others (#RealityCheckTech); it became very difficult, indeed quite dangerous work, particularly given there wasn't an appropriate income (financial support) stream; i am aware of others internationally who were doing instrumental work, whilst sleeping on couches elsewhere in the world. Nonetheless; the confluence of dangerous / bad actors, ignorant government workers (who often rendered meaningful assistance in support of crimes, then they'd 'run away' leaving the mess they made without available lawful remedy); governmental employee ambitions to take over major projects (not very honestly, imo); then when projects internationally were funded, funds weren't really provided to those who'd been working on the project for years; rather, new people - considered 'more professional' (due to their choices of focusing on the jobs that paid them income?); and then, more than any of the other very serious problems - #COVID2019 led to global commercialisation of #Credentials via a particular methodology (not the only methodology available) in a manner that - was denied to begin with or worse and the consequences, were indeed epic, and also very, very harmful - in my opinion.

There has also been a history of serious issues that cannot be discussed publically (due to the implications upon others 'human dignity'); and in-turn also, times where decisions have been made by groups with far superior 'resources' / reputational positions; and then, after wrong-doing was done, they've then worked on creating new documents - creating false appearances, as though, they existed all along; or that the actions (some still visable) were always justifiable - in an environment, that now, so many years later; still fails to provide available lawful remedy, 'verifiable claims', and related infrastructure as required to support #RealityCheckTech & Peace.

There are many future use-cases around how to better address the means for persons to elect not to work with others who've wronged them in past; whilst, also, not resulting in any unintended consequences. There are also issues relating to the structure of 'credentials' (#Web3 people refer to it as 'digital identity'); where there aren't 'human rights' instruments (Formatted into #RDF) that can be used by persons when engaging in contracts onlinne; indeed, many of the use-cases to support human dignity, are not presently supported; and, some of those involved have been manipulative and aggressive and demonstrably overall, care-less of moral grammar (in my opinion).

These types of problem is not unusual; and now, after many years - the contextual realities of the circumstances and decisions i made, in relation to situations others only understand much later on - is now far more easily demonstrated - yet the consequences, remain. In my continued efforts to address underlying issues; which is one of the top-priorities,

License / Licensing

There are various licenses (mostly MIT) provided by different components in the libraries. this will be updated.

the 'licensing' (contract law) frameworks which will employ advancements on the Web-Civics Ontologies Project which will make employable (for contract law related purposes via credentials) - various values frameworks; in addition to biosphere related ontologies and others as are pragmatically required.

One of the Top Priorities - is to address the #DigitalSlavery #WebSlavery (Human Rights) issues that others have not considered a priority for whatever reason.

License information on each project is provided in the relevant project folder. Improvements for better communicating the history of works by different people, leading to different projects collected into this repo, is WIP (work in progress).

Existing Solid-Server Platforms

A list of existing 'solid servers' can be found here SolidServers.org solid-contrib list. The 'specification' may be forked if / as required for the purposes of the #Webizen project; although, every opportunity is sought to be provided to Tim Berners-Lee (in particular) to support his capacity to address humanitarian problems on both 'micro' and 'macro' scopic levels; however this may not end-up being 'solid compatible'...

Beaker Browser

====== See Beaker Browser Readme

Questions and Chat Environment

Please feel welcome to reach-out via the Web Civics Discord Group if there's any questions, problems; or better yet - if you're interested in getting involved!!!