How do I search in FreeWeb or Freenet?

Several projects are underway to bring search functionality into Freenet.

At present, there are a couple of good search portals you can use:

• freenet:MSK@SSK@p0EFqjmDioSqKmYYORPrClUepi4QAgE/snarfoo//index.html (Snarfoo)
• http://www.thalassocracy.org (Steve's Key Index).

Why do FreeWeb websites take so long to display?

This is a price to pay for the anonymity and encryption which Freenet offers.

Websites are not stored on a single, easily located server. While this protects the website from attack, and protects the anonymity of its publisher and visitors, it does result in a time overhead for surfing the site.

However, popular websites will tend to proliferate around Freenet, and be more quickly accessible.

How can I contact the FreeWeb developers?

A temporary contact is freeweb@thehealingbreath.com

Doesn't FreeWeb encourage illegal activity

In itself, definitely not.
Arguably, the whole of the mainstream Internet encourages illegal activity, as does the availability of cars, knives, postal services etc.
For most criminal activity, FreeWeb will not be the preferred medium.

But won't FreeWeb create a haven for music and software pirates?

Sadly, modern technology has created a situation where privacy and copyright protection are now in direct conflict.

Both cannot exist at the same time.

Through much contemplation, the developers of FreeWeb and Freenet have concluded that the right to privacy and anonymity are fundamental human rights which morally transcend the principle of private intellectual property ownership.

Much though went in to finding ways to prevent abuse of FreeWeb.
But the only way to prevent possible copyright abuses would be to also eliminate the freedom of optionally anonymous expression which FreeWeb offers.

The developers of FreeWeb and Freenet staunchly believe that artists and content creators do deserve compensation for their efforts. However, the existing system has proven itself to be a failure. Of the revenues generated from sale and licensing of works, artists throughout history have only received the tiniest percentage. Also, history has shown that many incredible works have been universally rejected by publishers, only to win accolades much later, often after the creator's death.

This oppressive system has to go. Consumers pay too much for books, CDs, DVDs, videos etc. Artists get the smallest percentage of royalties. Nobody wins except the publishers and marketers.

The P2P community is keen to usher in a new system of reward for artists/creators, and a new system of contribution for consumers. The internet, as it evolves towards offering a platform for truly safe, secure, convenient (and even anonymous) payments, will make such a system possible.

P2P enthusiasts argue that under a new contribution-based system of reward, the majority of artists/creators will enjoy greater average revenues than they presently do with traditional publishing.

How do I protect my anonymity as I use FreeWeb?
Keep your computer safe from prying eyes and hands.

If you are concerned that your computer is under surveillance (eg through "Tempest" technologies which allow anyone's keyboard and screen to be monitored at a distance via the radio waves they emit), then take precautions. For example, laptops are safer, because the screen image is much harder, if not impossible, to pick up. But to be completely safe from passive eavesdropping, make sure your computer is inside an electromagnetically-shielded room, or is encased in effective shielding materials.

(It's interesting to note reports that the American National Security Agency has banned the public sale of such shielding technology - we wonder why??)
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How much does FreeWeb cost?
As its name suggests, FreeWeb is absolutely free.
There are none of the web hosting charges, domain registration charges or virtual domain/DNS referral fees.

What operating systems does FreeWeb support?
Only Windows at this stage, sorry. But FreeWeb has been written with portability in mind, and a working native Linux version is only a matter of time.

Do I need a permanent internet connection?
No, but it helps a lot to keep the Freenet healthy. The next best thing is if you can sign up to a 'dynamic IP' or 'dynamic DNS' update service, so that your varying IP address can be mapped to a static domain name.

How do I FTP my sites to FreeWeb
Since FreeWeb uses Freenet instead of the mainstream Internet, FTP is not used.
Instead, users run a very simple program called FreeWeb Publisher. To publish a site, you choose a domain name, point to a folder on your system, and the rest is done automatically.

Why do I have to run update each day?
Freenet is designed for solid protection of privacy. Due to this and other factors, it's not possible to replace documents once they're published. Instead, any changed files are uploaded into different Freenet keys, as well as a new 'map' which defines the layout of the site. For further information on this, visit the technical documents on the Freenet Site.
Note: in later versions of FreeWeb, the 'daily update' requirement will be eliminated, since FreeWeb Agent will intelligently search for earlier versions of websites.