BarnCamp 2011 Workshop Notes

These are the notes from the many different, varied, and sometimes random workshops that took place during BarnCamp 2011

Encrypted email using Thunderbird

Disclaimer: This is a basic overview of encryption.

Why use encryption?

• When you send an email it get bounced around several servers.
• Anybody with admin access to the server can read you email - it's a bit like sending a postcard where anybody that handles the postcard can read you message.
  
• Many email providers either choose, or are required by law, to keep emails for quite a long time. This means your postcard can be read long after it has been delivered.
• If you are planning an action, this can be a bad thing. It can also be a bad thing if you consider your emails to be private communications.

Why & how to set up an non-corporate anonymous blogging hosting service

Why set up this type of blog services?

We heard the story of the Bristol Blogger - a political blogger who had been using a WordPress blog for a long time. They posted a blog that was critical about a person, who then complained to WordPress. WP removed the entire blog. After complaints, the blogs was restored, but the post in question was removed. The Bristol Blogger had no control over their own site, and data was removed from it.
We also heard about a Manchester based blogger who posted an item about somebody from Manchester University. WP passed on personal details about the blogger to the university.
So, the key questions are: who controls your data? Who knows who you are, and who do they pass that info onto?

Network 23 used WordPress to set up a non-corporate site that would respect people's anonymity. The approach is to deal with editorial issues on a case by case level - what the hosters want to host. So may issue take down notice - blogger has to fight own corner.
Refer to N23 terms & conditions. Editorial decisions - hierarchy & accountable. Not only place for free speech. People can go elsewhere. Is this an argument for lots of providers with different terms & conditions.

Why WP network instead of separate installs?

It is possible to set up an individual group on a single WP installation, but they don't keep it up to date.
Multi-user option available out of the box to create sub-blogs of main blog. So all blogs are running the same code - means that one update on a plugin will affect all sites using that plugin. Some plugins won't work with this set up (will only work on main blog).

How many sub blogs? Not sure, but lots.

User can Request new plugins.

How it was done

N23 were lucky to have one person who had already done similar stuff. Their key tips were:

• Started with small number of plugins
• Get lots of users
• Install new plugins when people want them.

Features

Able to import from other blogs (e.g. from an existing site on WordPress.com) - useful for migration to N23.

Can there be different language options - e.g. admin interface in different languages? Seems not out of the box, but plugins may be available.

Server resources required

Lots of memory on the server

Lots of disc space if you want users to upload large and/or many video & audio.

How to make a Network 23 site

1. Use online form contact N23 asking for blog

2. Admin fills in new site form. Creates site, emails user.
- admin can access the control panel.

3. Look at plugins ...
Anti-spam - WP sites are suseptable to spam. Use wp-spamfree

Limitations for Network 23

Little space for uploaded media - people advised to use an Indymedia site that allows uploading.

Q? Anon posting on archive.org.

Can people moving from N23? Yes, using export function in settings on dashboard

Issues around domain mapping - https and SSL certificates.

Apache mod - remove IPs and replaces them, e.g. with no luck here copper.

Ways forward

Should Network 23 be the hub for anonymous WP blogs? Probably not - better if there were lots of small services, with their own rules.