New Opera 'Unite': Everybody's A Web Server ISPs are going to love this.... Tipped by Linklist 
Opera this morning announced that they've unveiled Opera Unite, a new browser the company insists will "reinvent the web" by turning each user PC into zero configuration content servers. The new client-side service delivers a ridiculously easy way for users to host files, music, photos and websites. Opera this morning unveiled a rather spooky video exploring the idea. Over at the Opera blog, Lawrence Eng explores the idea and Opera's vision in a little more detail, noting that the sharing applications included in the first build are little more than demos aimed at fostering more elaborate ideas: The initial applications offered by Opera Unite are just simple demos (such as a “messenger” application and a media player) that replicate existing services and online functionality, showing them working in the context of Opera Unite. That’s just the tiniest tip of the iceberg—the potential for what can be done is much larger. The key to Opera Unite is that it enables a whole new class of social software on the Web, applications that benefit from two or more people being online at the same time. And, with Opera Unite, these people can all connect directly without needing middlemen who control third-party servers. Of course Opera just annoyed the entertainment industry, who'll be annoyed at the new way to transfer copyrighted files. Opera also just annoyed ISPs, whose loyal employees we can already hear obediently proclaiming that customer terms of service prohibit running servers. You can download Opera Unite here, after which please leave your impressions in the comment section below.
|
 | | I don't see a a problem Comcast's Rep Frank told me that using torrent's isn't against the TOS so I don't see how this is (torrent's are technically individual servers and clients in themselves so Frank has now sanctioned using servers on Comcast. Doesn't matter what it says in the TOS; Frank is the mouth piece of corporate.). I have the email to prove it if anyone wants me to post it. | |
|  |
1 edit | Re: I don't see a a problem Actually, in all seriousness, I think you should share it. Any decent CSR or tech should know not to say anything, especially in written format, that contradicts company policy, so let's see what Frank's interpretation of Comcast's policy is. | |
| | | | | Re: I don't see a a problem Here it is, even though I expose my email, I don't care. Gmail does a good job with spam, and I really don't use it for anything.
Even though he does say server's aren't allowed, his response to bittorrent and other service protocols are that those are ok.
You can't pick and choose, I quoted him the RFC definition for server and he still said that Bittorrent and logmein are ok as long as long as its not very high bandwidth requirements. For those who claim that this is "tap dancing" around the TOS - I really doubt any ISP would care if you were carefully using any server on the network. Setting up a file hosting site is a no-no, running your own blog probably wont attract any attention.
I also think its infiging against my 1st amendment right preventing me from speaking out as I want. But, that's just my two cents. | |
| | | |  manfmmdPremium
join:2003-01-14
Earth, TX
 ·CMA Access
 ·AT&T Southwest
| Re: I don't see a a problem said by k1ll3rdr4g0n:I also think its infiging against my 1st amendment right preventing me from speaking out as I want. But, that's just my two cents. The 1st Amendment is a limitation on the Federal Governments powers, nothing more. Not private citizens, public or private corporations, just the government.
I wish people would stop misusing it as such.
--
If the road to Hell is paved with good intentions, what is the road to Heaven paved with?
Obama 2008 - Where Transparent = Opaque | |
| | | | |
1 edit | Re: I don't see a a problem said by manfmmd:said by k1ll3rdr4g0n:I also think its infiging against my 1st amendment right preventing me from speaking out as I want. But, that's just my two cents. The 1st Amendment is a limitation on the Federal Governments powers, nothing more. Not private citizens, public or private corporations, just the government. I wish people would stop misusing it as such. We both know that is not for me or you to decide, that is for the supreme court to decide.
To point out the facts the first amendment is, can, and has been used in court cases with public and private matters.
The first amendment is more than just a "the government can't make laws against freedom of speech".
If you haven't noticed by now I am a supporter of free speech. I believe everyone should be able to say what they want and feel without fear of retribution (within reason and the situation...ie don't tell a terminal patient he is going to die).
I wish people would do some research. | |
| | | | | |  jester121Premium
join:2003-08-09
Lake Zurich, IL | Re: I don't see a a problem The first amendment is precisely just the government:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
It's not more than that. It is that. It doesn't need to be expounded on by a link to wikipedia. The words are small and easy to understand, with simple sentence structure.
Become a supporter of reading comprehension, it's in much more danger than free speech. Stop researching, and just read it.  | |
| | | | | | |
| | | | | You may want to hide the email addresses from that pdf ... | |
| | | | | | | Re: I don't see a a problem said by AlexNYC:You may want to hide the email addresses from that pdf ... quote:
Here it is, even though I expose my email, I don't care. Gmail does a good job with spam, and I really don't use it for anything.
| |
|
| | | | | | Re: I don't see a a problem said by GeekJedi:said by k1ll3rdr4g0n:Comcast's Rep Frank told me that using torrent's isn't against the TOS so I don't see how this is (torrent's are technically individual servers and clients in themselves so Frank has now sanctioned using servers on Comcast. Doesn't matter what it says in the TOS; Frank is the mouth piece of corporate.). I have the email to prove it if anyone wants me to post it. Quote applicable law, please? It's pretty explicitly implied that in the case of ambiguity, the TOS is the final authority on what is allowed or prohibited, not "Frank". "Frank" is in fact not the mouthpiece of the company. If "Frank" told you that your service is free, Comcast would not be obligated to provide you service for free. You don't get to pick and choose here. But hey, if you feel you've found a loophole, enjoy... I was waiting for a "you found a loophole but it doesn't work" post.
I think we need a reality check for law. If I walk into a AT&T corp. store and purchase a new phone, ask about data plan and they say it will be free and I have it on recording - if AT&T charges me .01c for data then they have broken the law. In this certain instance I think that would be considered bait and switch. We can even go a step further and say that if I inquired after I had the phone for weeks and they said it would be free - AT&T cannot charge me anything (assuming of course I can prove that they told me it would be free).
Just because a CSR may have said something, doesn't mean they aren't held by law by it. So, your telling me that I can go around saying that this ball of wax is magical healing powers which it really does not?
This isn't a loophole, it's the law. Doesn't matter what the TOS say, if the CSR says it and you have proof - then the company has to abide by it - unless of course we shouldn't trust what CSR tell us? The CSR are the ones that interpert the TOS to the customer, if they don't full understand it, that's not a loophole, that's just stupidity on the companies part and they should higher smarter CSRs or train the ones they have better.
How about this - next time you sign up for service over the phone, such as high speed internet, and the CSR quotes you $50/month but when you get the bill you are paying $60/month don't even think of coming back here to complain because you think it's a "loophole".
To make my point more apparent, and to test those who actually read the PDF, I emailed the RFC definition of a server - you can NOT argue that - to Frank and he indirectly said that torrents and services like logmein that by definition are a server ARE allowed. The next person who posts - think about what I want you to take away from it - not a license for you host servers but a point that ISPs don't care if you do run a server that isn't bandwidth intensive. | |
| | | | | | Re: I don't see a a problem Your AT&T Store example has no associated law to be broken. All your recording would do is possibly let you back out of the contract you should have read completely, that does specifically lay out the terms, charges and has a clause stating that store agents and employees do not have the authority to change any of them. You would get the agent in trouble and nothing else would happen. Sorry to pop your balloon. | |
| | | | | | | Re: I don't see a a problem said by Post Now :
Your AT&T Store example has no associated law to be broken. All your recording would do is possibly let you back out of the contract you should have read completely, that does specifically lay out the terms, charges and has a clause stating that store agents and employees do not have the authority to change any of them. You would get the agent in trouble and nothing else would happen. Sorry to pop your balloon.
Please explain your reasoning. No where in the TOS does it say my rate plan?
Also fraud IS a crime.
quote:
A civil fraud typically involves the act of intentionally making a false representation of a material fact, with the intent to deceive, which is reasonably relied upon by another person to that person's detriment.
I can't tell you one thing and turn around do something completely different without the customer being able to do something about it. Are you saying that as a CSR I can say whatever to the customer (such as a cell phone can do this and that) and when they come back and say it doesn't I can tell them to screw off? Absolutely not. If I have in writing or a recording that you were telling me that the cell phone could do X Y and Z just to sell it to me when it doesn't that is fraud plan and simple. What about car salesmen? Do they not have to abide by some rule of conduct? Or can they just tell me the worst car on the lot is the best? | |
| | | | | | | | Re: I don't see a a problem Your rate plan is in the contract you should be reading before signing as I clearly wrote above.
As a sales person you can say whatever you want but if you contradict the contract terms or promise what you know you can't deliver you'll probably be fired once the customer complains about it. As you should know, the CSRs have no power to change the terms and if they say something which appears to do that--and the customer relies on that information--the company will duly exercise employee disciplinary procedures and release the customer from whatever obligation resulted. The company can easily escape your fraud allegation by pointing to the contract and their swift, decisive action regarding the agent who exceeded his authority.
Car salesmen are covered by specific laws, and yes if they can get you to buy it they certainly will sell you the worst car on the lot. If you are stupid enough to believe them without taking advantage of the consumer protections the law provides than you deserve to be the sucker.
What school is your law degree from? Mine's DePaul. | |
|
| | | | The client/server model, under certain microscopes, can be applied to a lot of things that would certainly violate the TOS. Servers being run for profit, malware, spam and other types of traffic, specific to solely being distributed (FTP) are illegal/violations of the TOS. You can't place hosting an online game server (i.e. L4D lobby system) or VPN to transfer files to your workplace in the same category. I assume that's what "Frank" envisions as permissible. Then again, the TOS is made by the company, maybe they are subjective when it comes to these things... | |
|
 EdrickI aspire to tell the story of a lifetimePremium
join:2004-09-11
Woburn, MA | How does the browser perform against other ones?
--
Ricky Smith
| |
| | | Good I think that this is a great idea. The Internet was never meant to be a one-way medium. That's what radio and TV are for. While I doubt that this piece of software will itself make a huge impact, it might give people the idea that they don't have to merely be consumers of information but can also produce it.
One angle where this kind of setup might be useful is in private "pseudo-Intranets". What I mean is, a group of folks could give each other access to private sites hosted on their own machines, so that they can share information that they'd rather not post to a third-party site, such as personal contact info, schedules, and documents they'd like to share among themselves. Such an option might make certain sites tighten up their privacy policies so people will trust them more. | |
| | | | Re: Good Kinda like a member's only Intranet? | |
|
 kewlkeedGrouchPremium
join:2005-02-05
Knowlton, QC
kudos:1 | ROFL @ The vid What a joke. They make it sound like a big paranoia scheme. Your poor little computer up against the evil "Servers". Most people's connections simply can't handle anything like this, let alone someone's 4 year old Dell clunker.
There's a good reason servers aren't on the same grounds as regular computers... Oh wait this is Opera's logic we're using here, oops.
The ISPs are gonna have a shitfit alright.
--
Justin - DSLR resident grouch and Mr Negativity
TSI Fanboy - "Dontchya wish your 'net was hot like mine! Ohhh Dontchya!"
Have a nice day! | |
| | | | Re: ROFL @ The vid said by kewlkeed:What a joke. They make it sound like a big paranoia scheme. Your poor little computer up against the evil "Servers". Most people's connections simply can't handle anything like this, let alone someone's 4 year old Dell clunker. There's a good reason servers aren't on the same grounds as regular computers... Oh wait this is Opera's logic we're using here, oops. The ISPs are gonna have a shitfit alright. Dude, my server is over 10 years old. Sounds like you are using the wrong OS. Try Linux. | |
| | |
 kapilThe Kapil
join:2000-04-26
Chicago, IL | Oh Opera Opera is like the middle child in a family. The older sibling is out smoking weed and getting laid. The younger sibling is busy getting the parents' affection. Opera has to resort to antics to get some attention.
Dear Opera. The browser wars are over. Didn't you get the memo?. Why don't you go develop some iPhone apps like everyone else?
--
»www.Digium.com | |
| |  wifi4milezBig Russ, 1918 to 2008. Rest in Peace
join:2004-08-07
New York, NY | Re: Oh Opera said by kapil:Opera is like the middle child in a family. The older sibling is out smoking weed and getting laid. The younger sibling is busy getting the parents' affection. Opera has to resort to antics to get some attention. Dear Opera. The browser wars are over. Didn't you get the memo?. Why don't you go develop some iPhone apps like everyone else? I think you underestimate Opera. While they are not big here, they have struck numerous deals with European carriers to be the default browser on phones. Thats really their core business these days to be honest, this is more of a second attempt to gather market share on the desktop level.
--
D-Day; If you can read this thank a soldier
-The United States of America-
| |
| |  LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5 | said by kapil:Opera is like the middle child in a family. The older sibling is out smoking weed and getting laid. The younger sibling is busy getting the parents' affection. Opera has to resort to antics to get some attention. Dear Opera. The browser wars are over. Didn't you get the memo?. Why don't you go develop some iPhone apps like everyone else? This smells of desperation on Opera's part. They are losing the browser wars(except in the mobile marketplace) and they are jumping headlong in to the P2P cesspool. Maybe they want to be the so-called legit Pirate Bay?
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
| | | | said by kapil:Opera is like the middle child in a family. The older sibling is out smoking weed and getting laid. The younger sibling is busy getting the parents' affection. Opera has to resort to antics to get some attention. Dear Opera. The browser wars are over. Didn't you get the memo?. Why don't you go develop some iPhone apps like everyone else? 
Did I miss the memo? When were the browser wars over? Didn't Chrome and Irom just come out recently?
Can you post the source where you got this info?
(I can imagine your on Firefox's jock?) | |
| | |
1 edit | Re: Oh Opera Rifk, LJ may be referring to the notion of IE vs. Netscape's offspring, of which, Firefox vs. Opera is one sided. Hardcore surfers use Lynx ftw. | |
|
|
1 edit | said by kapil:Dear Opera. The browser wars are over. Didn't you get the memo?. Why don't you go develop some iPhone apps like everyone else? Hasn't anybody learned that its not a good idea to prematurely declare a war to be over!
I don't see how you could possible make that statement. IE 8 has alot of problems, and Firefox's newest edition has ticked alot of people off as well. I've tryed IE 8, Safari, Opera, and FF on my Windows 7 and by far Opera is working the best!
What better time to take marketshare when IE 8 runs like s**t and is also get stripped out of the EU version of Windows
--
BF69~~~Please stop suffocating gerbils! | |
| |  BoogeymanDrive it like you stole itPremium
join:2002-12-17
Seward, AK | Opera on the Desktop market maybe, but its huge in the phone market and its the browser that the Wii uses. It isnt exactly a cup of fail.
--
Im Your Boogeyman, Thats What I Am | |
| | | iansltx
join:2007-02-19
Golden, CO
kudos:2 | Re: Oh Opera Heh, if I had the choice of Opera Mobile or Safari on the iphone, I'd say they're comparable browsers. I have Opera Mobile on my HTC Touch Pro and it sure beats IE  | |
|
| | | Um, excuse me, but I'm starting to hate Firefox more and more. Six months ago it was great, but for the last three or four months it's been crashing on my system. They'll release a new version that doesn't crash, then come out with a new security upgrade and it starts crashing again! The ONLY reason I still use Firefox is because there are a number of extensions I have more or less come to depend on, but as far as I'm concerned the bloom is off the rose for Firefox.
And whenever there's a site that Firefox simply can't deal with for whatever reason, Opera almost always can. I truly wish there were a way to use Firefox extensions with Opera, or that at very least they port over some of the more popular Firefox add-ons (like Tab Mix Plus). I'd use Opera any day over Internet Exploder or, for that matter, Safari.
So no, the browser "wars" certainly are not over, at least not from where I sit. Firefox had the high ground for a while but for whatever reason they seem to have given it up in recent versions (I know some would say IE has the high ground, but I don't think that the case among those who make a conscious decision to pick a browser, as opposed to those who will use whatever just happens to appear on their computer - many of the latter group frankly have no idea what they are using, they know they just "click that little picture to use the Internet!"). | |
| | | | | Re: Oh Opera Do you know for sure it isn't one of those "essential" extensions that's causing your Firefox to crash? (My Firefox never crashes, but I try to keep the number of add-ons installed to a minimum--a dozen or less, only some I really need [nowadays, as opposed to a couple years ago when I'd install dozens of 'em, all to good purpose of course  ].) | |
| | | | jp10558Premium
join:2005-06-24
Willseyville, NY | Re: Oh Opera I don't use Firefox except at work for support reasons (I support FF at work). I do not use extensions (besides whatever IE or Java install, as that's what the users get that I have to support).
But isn't one of the main reasons to use Firefox over Opera or Safari or Chrome the extensions? I mean, in my comparison of default Firefox 3.0.11 vs Opera 9.64 on my work computer - Firefox is almost unusable. I mean, no flip back and forth. No minimize tab. No Window menu or panel to manage 80+ tabs... I just always assumed that Firefox would be useful if I cared to (or could) mess with extensions. But if the extensions make it crash, or make it slow . . . why do people use it?
--
Opera 9.62(Build 10467); Windows XP Pro SP3;Intel C2Q6600; 3GB DDR2 1066; 1M/128k DSL; Antivir Personal; Comodo Firewall Pro 3;Proxomitron 4.5j Sidki 2008beta,GPG ID:0x0A1C6EE3 | |
|
| | | | Agreed, although the vanilla releases are generally stable, I know addons can be pants, with or without. There is a unique intuitiveness to Opera, unlike any browser. I like parts of it, and I use both for the reasons you mentioned. | |
|
|  Bit00Premium
join:2009-02-19
00000 | The browser wars are over? Tell that to Microsoft who continues to lose browser share.
--
POKE 65495,1 | |
|
| | security concerns So basically your hosting a web server by installing this program, right? Its a little concerning when Apache and IIS have so many security vulnerabilities that are identified regularly. I doubt the average computer user would fully understand the implications of setting this up. | |
|  n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY | Get Ready To Snoop! If this application winds up behaving like many of the P2P applications out there, expect to start seeing a trove a personal documents, bank statements, financial spreadsheets, etc. appearing on the web. It may be "Zero Configuration" but experience shows that people who go that route tend to have "Zero Understanding" of their computer.
--
I support the right to keep and arm bears. | |
| | LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5
1 edit | Re: Get Ready To Snoop! said by n2jtx:If this application winds up behaving like many of the P2P applications out there, expect to start seeing a trove a personal documents, bank statements, financial spreadsheets, etc. appearing on the web. It may be "Zero Configuration" but experience shows that people who go that route tend to have "Zero Understanding" of their computer. said by cowspotter:So basically your hosting a web server by installing this program, right? Its a little concerning when Apache and IIS have so many security vulnerabilities that are identified regularly. I doubt the average computer user would fully understand the implications of setting this up. Both have identified the biggest problem with this new offering. The average user will be opening a HUGE window in to their personal documents stored on their local PCs. And most of them have no idea at all on how to secure their systems. This could be a bonanza for the identity theft industry.
More discussion of security issues:
»news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-102···1_3-0-20
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
| | | jp10558Premium
join:2005-06-24
Willseyville, NY | Re: Get Ready To Snoop! Well, aside from the security hole potential, the UI is pretty much like Facebook - there's Public (everyone) and Private (people with a password)... Though, peoples problems with Facebook probably mean there will be some who share out their tax info...
However, that happens with all P2P...
More interesting is you don't have to enable file sharing (that is, don't install that service), but could still potentially get a bunch of use out of a chat service for instance, or the jukebox service, or the services 3rd parties will create.
--
Opera 9.62(Build 10467); Windows XP Pro SP3;Intel C2Q6600; 3GB DDR2 1066; 1M/128k DSL; Antivir Personal; Comodo Firewall Pro 3;Proxomitron 4.5j Sidki 2008beta,GPG ID:0x0A1C6EE3 | |
|
| Reviews:
·Hargray Cable
| said by n2jtx:If this application winds up behaving like many of the P2P applications out there, expect to start seeing a trove a personal documents, bank statements, financial spreadsheets, etc. appearing on the web. It may be "Zero Configuration" but experience shows that people who go that route tend to have "Zero Understanding" of their computer. Back in the day I use to fish around peoples computers when they left them wide open. We're talking napster days BTW. | |
|
Bit00Premium
join:2009-02-19
00000
2 edits | Reminds me of the @Home proxy Unless I'm reading this wrong, it seems this is like the old @Home proxy servers where ISPs would locally cache web pages which at the time made them extremely snappy.
ISPs who hate actually hate to spend profits in keeping up their networks should like this as it keeps more traffic within their local network area.
--
POKE 65495,1 | |
| |  SLDPremium
join:2002-04-17
San Francisco, CA
1 edit | Re: Reminds me of the @Home proxy You may have noticed that proxies all but disappeared. I doubt this will resurrect the concept.
Besides, it is for personal content, not caching of public content. | |
| | | | Opera has been locally caching web pages since the beginning, and yes it make surfing that much faster. However I agree with SLD. This is an apples to oranges scenario. | |
| | | Bit00Premium
join:2009-02-19
00000 | Re: Reminds me of the @Home proxy I'm not talking about caching that locally. Those pages still have to be fetched from the original server.
What I was talking about was the old caching @Home did where @Home cached popular web pages. At least with Cox@Home, my default everything ran through a local Cox proxy server and if you happened to request a page that was recently cached at Cox, you got it from Cox instead of the original host server. It was extremely fast since you only had to go to the headend to fetch a page.
I thought this might me something like that, but with other users somehow sharing what they have, perhaps some continuously updated DNS tweak. But as was pointed out by the other poster, that isn't what this is.
--
POKE 65495,1 | |
|
patcat88
join:2002-04-05
Jamaica, NY
kudos:1 | humans Why does this sound like self taken photos of your teenage daughter, and confidential military documents, and your customer CC lists will be leaked through this service? | |
| | | 1999 - PIII - 256 meg ram handled before buckling almost 250K uniques a day | |
| | | Opera as Gatekeeper This isn't quite the same as being able to publish your own Web site. Opera says, in its developer documentation, that it will only let you publish a site of which they approve. Want more freedom? Get your site hosted somewhere where they don't act as gatekeepers. Or buy some server bandwidth from your ISP and put up your own server. | |
| | LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5 | Re: Opera as Gatekeeper said by SuperWISP:This isn't quite the same as being able to publish your own Web site. Opera says, in its developer documentation, that it will only let you publish a site of which they approve. Want more freedom? Get your site hosted somewhere where they don't act as gatekeepers. Or buy some server bandwidth from your ISP and put up your own server. Another view that didn't buy in to Opera's hype and BS:
»factoryjoe.com/blog/2009/06/16/t···a-unite/
--
My BLOG .. .. Internet News .. .. My Web Page | |
|
 ARGONAUTgot android?Premium
join:2006-01-24
New Albany, IN
kudos:1
1 edit | doggy bloggy Web Server
Run entire Web sites from your local computer with the Opera Unite Web Server. After selecting the folder containing your Web site, you can share and host it from the given Opera Unite URL. Opera Unite will automatically recognize index files and create the Web site as you designed it. Sounds like a blog creation opportunity.
--
PentiumD 930 DC 3.0GHz - 4GB PC2-4200 - 300GB SATA - BFG Nvidia 7950GT OC 512MB
- Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-1600(1101MCE) - Vista Ultimate SP2 32bit | |
| | | I see a lot of hot air... ...but not a single post on how this new Opera Unite performs. Has anybody downloaded it and put it through its paces? I plan on doing that tonight (if the wife doesn't drag me from the computer). | |
| | |
| |
|
|
·
·
