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Political Apps Thread

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Renegade:
I keep coming across politically motivated software and apps, so it might be interesting to have a thread on it.

* Caveat: Keep the politics out or post in the Basement. This is a discussion about software, and any politics should be excluded or "meta".

I've casually posted a few in other thread on related topics, but there are more and more of these kinds of programs coming out. Here's a short round-up of a few:



Here are 8 great apps that make your world a little freer—and a whole lot easier to navigate.

Waze is a real-time, crowd-sourced map that not only tells you about traffic jams and finds the cheapest nearby gas station for you but also warns you of speed traps, police checkpoints, and ticket cams. Get this: The info is so good that the National Sheriffs Association is pressuring app stores to shut Waze down.

Open WhisperSystem’s Red Phone and Text Secure provide easy end-to-end encryption for phone calls, text messages, and chats. If you’re on Apple iOS, check out Signal.

Meerkat and Periscope allow you to livestream everything from your kids’ soccer games to police stops directly to Twitter. The only thing blocking these apps is that they’re only available on Apple’s iOS for now.

The Peacekeeper Emergency Response System app cultivates “benevolence” and independence in communities by allowing you to create your own personal emergency response network so that friends, family, and others can come to your aid at a moment’s notice—and you can come to theirs.

And then of course there’s Uber, the ride-sharing app that almost singlehandedly undermined taxi cab cartels all over the world. Uber is driving down a dark road by collaborating with state and local governments to keep out new competitors, but it’s also true that its ease of use and superiors product has brought safe, affordable rides to neighborhoods that never knew them before.

Here's a bonus app: Reason's mobile app is super-light and fast-loading—and constantly updated with our latest blog posts, videos, and articles about "Free Minds and Free Markets."
--- End quote ---

The "Peace Keeper" app is interesting. It's a kind of social app, but very different.

http://peacekeeper.org/

The author (Cody Drummond) has been interviewed a couple times that I know of here (Tom Woods) and here (Jeff Berwick).

One program not mentioned in the video above that I like (but can't seem to get anyone else to use) is Jitsi. It's secure chat & calling. Excellent when you want to discuss... uh... get Jitsi & I'll tell you. :P

mouser:
Quick historical artifact post: In 2004 I wrote a little markov-chain monte-carlo prediction tool for the 2004 United States Kerry-Bush Presidential election; you can see the old page for it here: https://www.donationcoder.com/Software/Mouser/mep/index.html

mouser:
ps. Didn't mean to derail the topic -- i do think it's useful to talk about political-related apps, especially those dealing with political free speech.

Renegade:
ps. Didn't mean to derail the topic -- i do think it's useful to talk about political-related apps, especially those dealing with political free speech.
-mouser (April 14, 2015, 11:09 AM)
--- End quote ---

^ So much THIS!

Canada is facing legislation what will make a lot of speech criminal. Software to dodge around that is important.

Jitsi is one of those apps that can help people communicate securely. I just wish that it had more financial backing so that more people could find about about it and use it. I'd rather use it than Skype... but just try to convince someone to communicate privately with you when it takes more than 5 seconds to set up. :(

TaoPhoenix:
ps. Didn't mean to derail the topic -- i do think it's useful to talk about political-related apps, especially those dealing with political free speech.
-mouser (April 14, 2015, 11:09 AM)
--- End quote ---

^ So much THIS!

((Canada)) ((Parens are mine)) is facing legislation what will make a lot of speech criminal. Software to dodge around that is important.

-Renegade (April 14, 2015, 11:18 AM)
--- End quote ---

Heh this thread is like signing up people to work in a blacksmith forge for college credit! "Just don't get hurt! And don't make stuff that can hurt other people!"

My parens above are because Russia just got one too!
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/russian-anti-meme-law

So I'm not sure how we can use a software angle in that situation to help!

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