
Show HN: ipfsearch, a decentralized search engine - hoschicz
https://ipfsearch.xyz
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notheguyouthink
> It is impossible to take down an index after it is uploaded to IPFS

That's not true, at least based on the projects goals. IPFS wants to be able
to submit to authorized takedown notices for illicit and I assume illegal
content.

If, eventually, IPFS has that capability than theoretically no data is safe
from takedown notices unless they're running non-compliant IPFS nodes.

~~~
hoschicz
Yes, it's against the IPFS projects goals to help spreading of illegal
content. However, this is not technically achievable without one central
authority that would dictate all nodes what content is illegal. It is also
against the IPFS projects goals to have a central entity that can take down
anything -- who decides? which jurisdiction is valid?

What is possible is to give an ipfs node a blacklist of content it shall not
fetch. This blacklist is picked and edited by node operator. I would assume
that there is a large bl(a/o)cklist behind the public ipfs.io gateway.

I'm the node operator behind ipfsearch.xyz. I will block all illegal content
that I have been notified of from passing through my node. However, nothing
prevents somebody from running their own IPFS node, loading the ipfsearch.xyz
webapp and fetching the content they wish from the IPFS network.

~~~
notheguyouthink
> Yes, it's against the IPFS projects goals to help spreading of illegal
> content. However, this is not technically achievable without one central
> authority that would dictate all nodes what content is illegal. It is also
> against the IPFS projects goals to have a central entity that can take down
> anything -- who decides? which jurisdiction is valid?

That sounds like a question for IPFS in general haha, I don't know to be
honest. I just know that, as you said, they want to abide by local laws/etc.
Which means that if they follow their own goals, _somehow_ content can be
removed.

Likewise, IPFS content can be taken down by simply not being hosted anymore.
So not only could IPFS content be requested to be taken down, but wording it
that it cannot be taken down after it is uploaded implies a certain level of
longevity. Of which IPFS does not guarantee in the slightest.

I'm not trying to bash ipfsearch, I love IPFS, I just think it's important to
understand limitations of the technology. Especially in the face of bad
actors.

> However, nothing prevents somebody from running their own IPFS node, loading
> the ipfsearch.xyz webapp and fetching the content they wish from the IPFS
> network.

Yea, I said exactly that when I mentioned running non-compliant nodes. However
if you're running a non-compliant node with blacklisted content, compliant
nodes wouldn't be able to see it right? So it's only partially on IPFS at that
point as normal IPFS users could not see it. Again, just making
clarifications.

------
easytiger
> 404 page not found

Failure or existential statement?

