A friend of mine who is passionate about social causes and is an expert on one in particular, recently sent me a link to a web hosting concept.
For some reason I’m not able to articulate as clearly as I’d like; I am suspicious.
On the face of it, it seems like a very good idea and it appears reputable.
As a matter of fact, the concept is one I’ve discussed at length with him.
Experts and others working on social causes need to be using the internet more effectively. We’ve joked about how they spend so much time researching and talking to each other, their message doesn’t get out to the public.
So why am I uneasy about him considering Grassroots as a web hosting option?
Articles like this give me pause. I think that I hesitate recommending all the eggs be put in one basket. His cause is not affiliated, not an NGO, and is not limited to the US.
The internet is being monitored, no matter where he puts up a site, it will draw welcome and unwelcome traffic.
This may well be a benign and useful hosting option, and my suspicions may border on conspiritorial.
It is his choice, and he has asked me to weigh in.
My nay is more gut response than factual, based on personal experience more than other’s reality.
It is a great concept, almost too good to be true.
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I don’t know what paperwork is required to get a Charitable Registration Number up north, but a 501(c)3 filing isn’t easy; I’d rather pay a few bucks a month for basic hosting that spend days a year doing forms and having meetings of the board of your charity if the charity is merely a fancy name for your blog. However, if you have lots of time and little money, it might be worth it.
If you have a secular progressive charity, they might be a good place to hang your hat, but you’re not secular or a charity.
I’d not get too spooked over the AEI efforts; that’s not much more than opposition research that political groups routinely do on their foes. The piece seems a bit too over the top in deliniating what AEI and other American conservatives are up to.
Baring a password system, the Internet allows for all traffic, unwelcome or not, to come through. It would be hard to keep your political foes to come looking. However, you’re even-handed and mild-mannered enough so that you’re unlikely to be on too many people’s enimies list.
My other though on why Grassroots might be problematic: Could a seriously-left-leaning server be vunerable to a denial-of-service attack from some malicious right-wing group? Yes. Is that enough to turn down a freebie? I don’t think so.
For a while, I stashed some pictures and other files of a free Christian web hosting site; they wound up pulling the free offer after a while. That could have been done in by a DOS attack as well from some disgruntled secularist, which seem to be more likely than militant anarchocapitalists.
Good points Mark.
We have a US endorsements and involvement, and one group may have charitable status. I know most of them don’t though.
My friend’s work is not registered here in Canada as a charity. It has been considered, and rejected so far because the work can be done without that.
He is a world wide expert as are some of the others he is trying to get to help with the site. They will not allow their research to be tainted by sponsored money, which I certainly respect given their subject matter.
And the corporate interests and government involvement in maintaining the practises that are harming citizens in these countries are huge, I know it is only a matter of time before his site is attacked.
Currently he and his friends are on a server outside the US. It’s a hands on hosting, where potential tech attacks will be spotted and dealt with very quickly.
Thanks. I think you voiced my ‘gut’ well for me.
I’ll pass your comment to them. Blog on!