"Classified ads" is a distributed messaging system for the Internets

Classified ads is a open-source, LGPL-licensed messaging application, letting you do roughly same kind of things that are done with web-forums and e-mail. Major difference is that in this application (that you need to install into your computer before using it) does not require a web-server that someone needs to keep or e-mail service provider that would vanish leaving you with no correspondence. This server-less design leads to number of benefits, like * Reliability, as there is no "service" that would go down.
* Low cost, as you need to make contract only with internet service provider and that's it.
* Ownership of data by users ; here users are not part of the product that would need to be sold (to marketers or any 3rd party).
* Improved privacy compared to traditional smtp-email because distributed system has no central data repository or other point for conveniently siphoning massive amounts of data concerning users.
* There is no concept of "user registration" or organization that would accept such and later revoke.
* User identification using digital signatures ; a message from Joe Random can be fairly well trusted to actually be from Joe Random if user has previously marked Joes encryption key in his contact list. Reverse is also true, trying to pose as Joe practically requires stealing of Joes encryption keys.

None of the technological features listed above is unique, there are other systems that already implement subset of features above. All previous implementations around same idea are rather difficult to take into use, even for software professional. Simplicity of set-up and use has been one of design goals, success in that part is left to be evaluated by first-time users who have little or no experience in software configuration.

/r/technology Thread Link - katiska.org