Drumbeat/Challenges/Censor Caching

Zitrain Censoring Caching Plug-in

The Challenge:

Develop a plug-in that helps create backup/cached copies of websites that are frequently censored. Using data from Heredict (a web site that tracks blocked and/or censored websites) this Firefox plug-in would scan a user’s cache and anonymously upload any cached versions of websites that have subsequently been blocked to servers that would grant alternative access to the content.

Objective:

• Fight censorship/ensure open access to all content, on the web.
• Create a distributed “auto-immune system” that automatically fights censorship
• Design a system that both exposes censorship and tangibly addresses it.
• Educate the public about censorship on the web.

Strategy:

Foster an open source community that designs and builds the plug-in.

Program Outline:

1. Scope out challenge: interview Zittrain and have him articulate the projects objectives and parameters in greater detail.
2. Assess what, if any resources Mozilla wishes to directly allocate to this challenge
3. Refine “the challenge” based on input from Zitrain (and others?) for the drumbeat website
4. Initiate a process that engages community members to scope out concepts and specifications for the software
5. Initiate a process that engages community members to prototype the design concepts laid out in round one.
6. Launch brainstorming challenge that asks community members to design a marketing campaign for the product.