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Open Source Projects Receive Funding to Reclaim the Public Internet

(nlnet.nl)
473 points edent | 3 comments | 23 Apr 25 07:20 UTC | HN request time: 0.77s | source
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hello_computer ◴[23 Apr 25 10:35 UTC] No.43770519[source]▶
Money down the toilet. Job #1 is to make a google replacement. Job #2, a domestic phone manufacturer (with its own plaftorm / appstore). These are the two primary portals to "The Internet". Without meaningful replacements, they're still on Uncle Sam's plantation. China figured that out a long time ago, and is in a far better position to digitally de-couple from the United States.

They are so far behind. Focus! Spitballing 42 random projects is a luxury Europe does not have.

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sidibe ◴[23 Apr 25 12:57 UTC] No.43771608[source]▶
China got there by banning Google. I don't think Europe is willing or able to do that unless Trump antagonism continues for years. Practically noone who has a choice (people in Singapore and Taiwan) between them uses Baidu
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bluGill ◴[23 Apr 25 13:52 UTC] No.43772218[source]▶
Trump has a 25% chance of dieing of old age before his term ends. It is unlikely that the US will relax the 2 terms max for president allowing him a second term. If Trump is your worry then you can just wait him out. The real question is will others like Trump get into power next or not, and if so how like Trump are they? (I cannot answer that)
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1. hello_computer ◴[23 Apr 25 15:31 UTC] No.43773305[source]▶
If Donald Trump is the sole motivation for this, they are hopelessly stupid. They need to be in control of their own infrastructure regardless of who runs the USA.
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2. bluGill ◴[23 Apr 25 16:57 UTC] No.43774145[source]▶
Depending on what you mean by in control you are either right or wrong.

You cannot do everything. Specialists can get really good at one thing, so it is best for the world to specialize and get those other things from someone else. Going it alone is bad for everyone.

However you also cannot trust anyone else. So you need to have plenty of options such that if one specialist turns out bad you can cut that one off.

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3. hello_computer ◴[23 Apr 25 17:27 UTC] No.43774506[source]▶
EU has almost 450M people. USA had the thing on lockdown for decades with < 340M people. Japan made a hell of a showing in the 80s with < 124M. Europe has the human capital. It is foolish not to use it.

There are other considerations outside of globohomo quantifiables—like workforce development, domestic know-how, self-sufficiency, robustness to supply chain failures & geopolitical upheavals… Basically, the Taleb stuff.