add about, glossary

2 files changed, 130 insertions, 14 deletions

diff --git a/template/about.html.j2 b/template/about.html.j2
index 55c9f605..3e77b52b 100644
--- a/template/about.html.j2
+++ b/template/about.html.j2
@@ -6,14 +6,73 @@
       <h3>{{ _("About GNUnet") }}</h3>
       <p>
         {% trans %}
-        We still have to write this section.
+        GNUnet is an alternative network stack for building secure,
+        decentralized and privacy-preserving distributed applications.
+        Our goal is to replace the old insecure Internet protocol stack. Starting
+        from an application for secure publication of files, it has grown to
+        include all kinds of basic protocol components and applications
+        towards the creation of a GNU internet.
         {% endtrans %}
+        <br>
+        {% trans %}
+        Today, the actual use and thus the social requirements for a global
+        network differs widely from those goals of 1970. While the Internet
+        remains suitable for military use, where the network equipment is
+        operated by a command hierarchy and when necessary isolated from the
+        rest of the world, the situation is less tenable for civil society.
+        {% endtrans %}
+        <br>
+        {% trans %}
+        Due to fundamental Internet design choices, Internet traffic can be
+        misdirected, intercepted, censored and manipulated by hostile routers
+        on the network. And indeed, the modern Internet has evolved exactly
+        to the point where, as Matthew Green put it, ``the network is
+        hostile''.
+        {% endtrans %}
+        <br>    
+        {% trans %}
+        We believe liberal societies need a network architecture that uses the
+        anti-authoritarian decentralized peer-to-peer paradigm and
+        privacy-preserving cryptographic protocols. The goal of the GNUnet
+        project is to provide a Free Software realization of this ideal.
+        {% endtrans %}
+        <br>
+        {% trans %}
+        Specifically, GNUnet tries to follow the following design principles,
+        in order of importance:
+        {% endtrans %}
+        <ol>    
+        <li>            
+          {% trans %}
+            GNUnet must be implemented as <a href="https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html">Free Software</a>.
+          {% endtrans %}
+        </li>
+        <li>{{ _("GNUnet must minimize the amount of personally identifiable information exposed.") }}</li>
+        <li>{{ _("GNUnet must be fully distributed and resilient to external attacks and rogue participants.") }}</li>
+        <li>{{ _("GNUnet must be self-organizing and not depend on administrators or centralized infrastructure.") }}</li>
+        <li>{{ _("GNUnet must inform the user which other participants have to be trusted when establishing private communications.") }}</li>
+        <li>{{ _("GNUnet must be open and permit new peers to join.") }}</li>
+        <li>{{ _("GNUnet must support a diverse range of applications and devices.") }}</li>
+        <li>{{ _("GNUnet must use compartmentalization to protect sensitive information.") }}</li>
+        <li>{{ _("The GNUnet architecture must be resource efficient.") }}</li>
+        <li>{{ _("GNUnet must provide incentives for peers to contribute more resources than they consume.") }}</li>
+        </ol>
       </p>
       <h4>{{ _("Current funding") }}</h3>
       <p>
         {% trans %}
         We currently do not have any grants. All work is done by volunteers.
         {% endtrans %}
+        <br>
+        {% trans %}
+        We are grateful for free hosting offered by the following organizations:
+        {% endtrans %}
+        <ul>
+          <li><a href="https://www.tum.de/">Technische Universit&auml;t M&uuml;nchen</a></li>
+          <li><a href="https://www.inria.fr/">Inria</a></li>
+          <li><a href="https://www.bfh.ch/">Berner Fachhochschule</a></li>
+          <li><a href="https://www.gnu.org/">The GNU Project</a></li>
+        </ul>
       </p>
       <h4>{{ _("Past funding") }}</h3>
       <p>
diff --git a/template/glossary.html.j2 b/template/glossary.html.j2
index f0429e84..d8f6c0e5 100644
--- a/template/glossary.html.j2
+++ b/template/glossary.html.j2
@@ -1,42 +1,99 @@
 {% extends "common/base.j2" %}
 {% block body_content %}
 <div class="container">
-
 <dl>
-<!--
-<dt>{{ _("term") }}</dt>
+<dt>{{ _("Ego") }}</dt>
   <dd>
     {% trans %}
-      explanation
+      We use the term "Ego" to refer to the fact that users in GNUnet
+      can have multiple unlinkable identities, in the sense of alter egos.
+      The ability to have more than one identity is crucial, as we may
+      want to keep our egos for business separate from those we use
+      for political activities or romance.<br>
+      Egos in GNUnet are technically
+      equivalent to identities (and the code does not distinguish
+      between them). We simply sometimes use the term "ego" to stress
+      that you can have more than one.
     {% endtrans %}
   </dd>
 </dt>
--->
-<dt>{{ _("Ego") }}</dt>
+<dt>{{ _("Identity") }}</dt>
   <dd>
     {% trans %}
-      explanation
+      In GNUnet users are identified via a public key, and that public
+      key is then often referred to as the "Identity" of the user.
+      However, the concept is not as draconian as it often is in real
+      life where many are forced to have one name, one passport and
+      one unique identification number.
+      <br>
+      As long as identities in GNUnet are simply
+      public keys, users are free to create any number of identities,
+      and we call those egos to emphasize the difference. Even though
+      users can create such egos freely, it is possible to have
+      an ego certified by some certification authority, resulting
+      in something that more closely resembles the traditional concept
+      of an identity.<br>
+      For example, a university may certify the identities of its students
+      such that they can prove that they are studying.  Students may
+      keep their (certified) student identity separate from other egos
+      that they use for other activities in life.
     {% endtrans %}
   </dd>
 </dt>
-<dt>{{ _("Identity") }}</dt>
+<dt>{{ _("Pseudonym") }}</dt>
   <dd>
     {% trans %}
-      explanation
+      A pseudonym is an ego that is specifically intended
+      to not be linked to one's real name.  GNUnet users can create
+      many egos, and thus also many pseudonyms.
+      <br>
+      Repeated uses of
+      the same pseudonym are linkable by definition, as they involve
+      the same public key.  Anonymity requires the use of either the
+      special "anonymous" pseudonym (for GNUnet, this is the neutral
+      element on the elliptic curve) or a throw-away pseudonym that
+      is only used once.      
     {% endtrans %}
   </dd>
 </dt>
-<dt>{{ _("Pseudonym") }}</dt>
+<dt>{{ _("Namespaces") }}</dt>
   <dd>
     {% trans %}
-      explanation
+      The GNU Name System allows every ego (or identity) to
+      securely and privately associate any number of label-value pairs
+      with an ego. The values are called record sets following the
+      terminology of the Domain Name System (DNS).  The mapping of
+      labels to record sets for a given ego is called a namespace.
+      <br>
+      If records are made public and thus published, it is possible
+      for other users to lookup the record given the ego's public key
+      and the label.  Here, not only the label can thus act as a
+      passphrase but also the public key -- which despite its name
+      may not be public knowledge and is never disclosed by the GNS
+      protocol itself.  
     {% endtrans %}
   </dd>
 </dt>
-<dt>{{ _("Namespaces") }}</dt>
+<dt>{{ _("Peer") }}</dt>
   <dd>
     {% trans %}
-      explanation
+      A "peer" is an instance of GNUnet with its own per-instance
+      public key and network addresses.  Technically, it is possible
+      to run multiple peers on the same host, but this only makes
+      sense for testing.
+      <br>
+      By design GNUnet supports multiple
+      users to share the same peer, just as UNIX is a multi-user
+      system.  A "peer" typically consists of a set of foundational GNUnet
+      services running as the "gnunet" user and allowing all users
+      in the "gnunet" group to utilize the API.  On multi-user
+      systems, additional "personalized" services may be required
+      per user.
+      <br>
+      While peers are also identified by public keys, these
+      public keys are completely unrelated to egos or
+      identities.  Namespaces cannot be associated with a
+      peer, only with egos.
     {% endtrans %}
   </dd>
 </dt>