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The Postmaster network

Postmasters, of course, will be able to communicate through this network between themselves and share information. In this way, they will know the health of the network in various areas. They will be the first ones with the most knowledgeable about encryption and programs that are available. At first, many Postmasters may not know much about encryption or how to use the tools, but they can learn about it and even share copies of the software through the network. As soon as most Postmasters have mastered it, they can start providing encryption as a service across the network.

If the network gets overloaded, they can set up subnetworks to take some of the load. They can help set up private networks for groups that need them, using separate pouches if necessary but sharing the same protocols, transfer routes, and personnel. As with almost anything, there is always a danger of politicization, which much be guarded against.

Sabotage

An important duty of all Postmasters, and actually anyone using the network, is to be alert for sabotage and do everything possible to prevent it and minimize any damage.

One simple way for the system to be sabotaged would be for some “Evil Postmaster” to intentionally make some alteration on the contents of all files in his pouch, rendering them useless, and then to transfer the pouch to other Postmasters. Any of the files that had already existed in their unaltered state on other Postmasters’ pouches would be okay, because existing files are not overwritten during the swapping protocol, but any files that were only in the “Evil Postmaster’s” pouch and any that are new to the other Postmasters would be passed on in their corrupted state. This could be detected quickly by other Postmasters, if they were in the habit of sending encrypted messages between themselves, because they would discover the corruption of their messages. Once detected, they could make an effort to quarantine the corrupted files by not passing them on.

In a more advanced scenario, once Postmasters have become more experienced, they would be able to proactively detect corrupted files by using specialized software to compare the contents of messages with the same filename. Unless files have been intentionally corrupted, the contents will be identical except in very unusual cases. In this case, it may be possible to detect that the files have been corrupted but not possible to tell which of the two copies is the “real one”. In this case, both the good one and the bad one can be passed on if the postmaster adds an additional character to the end of the filename. The receiver will then have to determine which one is right. If he has used encryption, this will be easy, because only the real one will decrypt successfully.

In general, Postmasters should have a good understanding of how the network operates and be on the lookout for problems. When a pouch comes in from another community, he should know what to expect in terms of the quantity of new messages. If it’s a lot more than what he expected, he should at least be curious about it and try to understand what’s going on. He might want to ask the other postmaster if he knows why there were so many. This will help him better understand the workings of the network and puts him in a much better position to notice suspicious activity. He needs to be and act much more like a sentry than a post office employee.

Even in the face of some sabotage, however, most messages are likely to get through. This is because of the redundancy of the system. The more postmasters there are in the network, the less damage that a saboteur is likely able to accomplish. If senders send multiple messages, and preferably send them through multiple postmasters, most are likely to get through.

There are other ways that the network can be harmed, such as attempting to flood the system with large numbers of false messages, or sending very large files by breaking them up into many little files. These things can be detected and thwarted using methods such as those described above.

A basic kit of software tools and instructions that any Postmaster may need should be included on each pouch or in a separate pouch. This should include (but not be limited to) the following:

Postmaster Toolkit:

• This document and text copies of the linked material as well as additional information on encryption and security.
• PGP tools
• ZIP tools
• VeraCrypt (another advanced encryption tool)
• File shredding tools
• File search tools
• File directory comparison tools
• File management tools
• Custom Postmaster tools (yet to be developed)
• All of the above for as many platforms as possible, including Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, IoS (Apple Mac, iPhone, and iPad).

Note that although a toolkit would be a great boon to the Postmaster network, it also opens us up to one of the most dangerous forms of sabotage that could occur. The tools themselves could be sabotaged or replaced with counterfeits, which would appear to be operating normally while actually leaving “back doors” open. This would not be easily done, but it could be, and I would not be at all surprised to find out that certain government agencies or even some advanced terror networks already have counterfeit versions of these tools at their disposal. Viruses could easily be placed in any of the tools, which could be devastating. There are solutions to all of this, both highly technical and otherwise, but it is something that Postmasters need to be constantly aware of.

The above toolkit, once standardized, should be packaged in an encrypted file (possibly using VeraCrypt) and signed with a known public key to help ensure its authenticity. However, even this could be faked, unless some method of certifying public keys (without the Internet) is used. See the document referenced above on how PGP works for more information on certification. There are certainly challenges ahead, but until the Postmaster network has become knowledgeable enough about encryption and skilled enough to use the tools effectively, we don’t want to make things so complicated that we discourage the growth of the network in the first place. It needs to be simple to begin with.

The level of security discussed here may or may not be something we actually need today, but it may possibly mean the difference between life and death in the future. Especially in a time of war, we will need to stay two steps ahead of our enemy. These are extremely powerful tools and, combined with good operational security, they should be an important part of our arsenal.

The more diligent, innovative, and coordinated the Postmasters are the better the system will work. If the network of Postmasters were to become power hungry or corrupt, they would likely find the current system too “loose and unstructured” for them, or they would start describing it as dangerous. Soon it would start to look like some sort of government bureaucracy. When this happens, it may be better to just start building and using a separate network.

Summary

As I said early on in this article, it is inevitable that people, faced with a collapsed infrastructure, will start transferring messages using SneakerNet. It is also certain that people will collaborate on the transfer of files in some way. Some type of network will come into existence. By using the key points of this article, a much, much simpler and more effective network can exist. One last time, the key points are:

1. Each message is stored in a separate file.
2. The filename of each message is the unique identifier for that particular message.
3. The first part of each filename contains a unique identifier for the recipient of the message or the name of a site or blog, while the remainder of the filename consists of additional characters to ensure that the message filename itself is unique.
4. Messages, named as described above, can then be combined, recombined, copied, and shared over and over again, without the need for special tools.
5. Using very small, inexpensive, portable storage devices with very large capacity (stock up now!), these messages are easily spread far and wide.
6. When the network eventually fills up in any given area, large files are purged first. When there are no more large files, old files are purged. Both of these operations can be performed without special tools.
7. If problems occur, sub-networks, separate private networks, trusted networks, and whole new networks can be set up almost instantly using these same techniques, allowing the system to be partitioned or “reset” in any way and at any time that people see fit. Nobody owns it.
8. Encryption of one sort or another is the only way to prevent others from reading your messages, to verify the authenticity of a received message, and to ensure that it has not been altered. Everyone is in charge of their own security; ignore this fact at your peril!

There is much more to be said about how this system can be used, ways it could be sabotaged, and how to prevent that from occurring or fixing it when it does. Additional techniques, methods, and protocols will be developed and improved over time. Software applications and tools could simplify the work of a Postmaster enormously, but this will be easier if they are written and distributed before TEOTWAWKI. With fairly simple, specialized software, pouches could be merged with the click of a button. However, all of the basics of how to handle files have been covered here. Prepare, stock up, spread the word, and practice! If the infrastructure comes down before you are ready, at least keep these principles in mind and start finding a way to create, gather, and transfer files as described.

One more note: If this type of communication ever becomes “illegal”, know that you are already living under martial law, and if you start hearing a lot of talk about how the network is being used by “terrorist groups” (either the ISIS type, or the Constitutionalist type), and so it needs to be “clamped down” or “regulated” or “controlled”, just realize that just means that someone doesn’t like free communication for their own reasons. This is potentially a very powerful medium, and that power could be used for good or evil. Naturally, we will do everything we can to prevent it from being used to forward evil, but that’s the best that can be done. I think we can do a better job of keeping it in the right hands than some faceless government agency would be able to do. We can do it without completely destroying the power and freedom of the medium; I very much doubt that “they” can. Even if they were to try, this medium really can’t be controlled. All you would have to do is start fresh and learn from what happened before.

To free communication!

Protocol Refinements

There are many refinements that can be used to improve efficiency and reduce the number of files to be processed, when dealing with local communication. However, these must always remain discretionary, so that they can be dropped at any time if situations change, or they are found to be unworkable.

For example, directories (or folders) can be used to separate messages into different destination areas, organized by State. This reduces anonymity somewhat, but it can help organize messages and keep traffic down within local areas. If you know for certain that the recipient is in California, create a folder called California and put the message in there. If you know the zip code, it can be added within the California folder. Even when there are state and zip code folders, messages will still exist in the main folder, outside of any state folders, and messages will exist within the state folders, outside of any particular zip code folder. Another level can exist within the zip code folder for a well-defined and understood community. Less precise regions, such as counties and cities, could possibly be used, but these are open to ambiguities and are less likely to be known for certain.

When working within a local network, a Postmaster could use both a local pouch and a master pouch. The local pouch would contain all messages from the main directory, state directory, zip code directory, and community directory, but all other directories would be missing. This makes the pouch easier to work with. To send a message within the local community, it is put into the community folder. To send a message outside of the local community but within the state, the message goes in the state folder. New state and zip code folders are added to the local pouch as needed for outgoing messages.

Later, the Postmaster combines the local pouch into the national pouch. The community folder, however, is not transferred to the national pouch; it is retained on the local pouch. The local pouch is temporary and must be recreated whenever updates are received for the national pouch. This is done by saving the community folder, creating a new local pouch from the main, state, and zip code folders from the master pouch, and then adding the community folder back in.

With care, similar protocols could be used and developed at the zip code and state levels, but this also opens the system up to misuse of various sorts. It would be a very bad idea for people to start getting the idea that a state or even a zip code is “under the control of” one particular entity. It would be much better to have several different people independently managing the same regions simultaneously. This network is about freedom and anonymity, not “guarantees” (which somehow never seem to work out very well anyway).

Another use for region descriptions, similar to what is described above, would be for Postmasters, or really anyone for that matter, to include nationwide, state, or regional news and network status in a message that is not to anyone in particular. For example, a message with a filename of “California-94302-2017-06-03-PO45UR” might say “Mostly quiet here this week. There were some large explosions some 50 miles to the north, but we don’t know exactly where. The usual sporadic gunfire, of course. People are catching on to using the Sneakernet and sending out lots of messages, but only a few people have received messages from outside of the community so far. Joe the Postmaster”. This sort of message, or news, is not really a change in the protocol, except for the standardized use of the state, zip code, and date. It follows the general rule that the message starts with a “destination”, but it’s not necessarily a real destination. It’s actually more like a blog entry. Note that the date is in the format YYYY-MM-DD. This is important because it allows the news files for a particular area to be easily sorted by date. Also, dashes are used to make it more readable. This is acceptable, because anonymity is not important in this case. This type of file could serve several purposes:

• It gives the Postmaster an idea of what geographical areas and time periods are covered by this particular pouch.
• It gives the Postmaster vital information about the network in general.
• It provides general news to people who are interested in that particular region, or in general, even if they have not received messages from anyone in particular.
• It provides people with a way to broadcast news in their area, even if they don’t have anyone in particular to whom they want to report it.
• It could greatly increase interest in and use of the network, especially initially or before they have received specific messages from friends or family.

This also brings up some interesting ethical and moral points. I am personally against censorship by Postmasters. However, what should a Postmaster do if he sees that someone in his area has posted a particularly alarming and blatantly false report? He might choose to delete it to stop it from going further, but this is censorship, plain and simple. Who is the Postmaster to say that the report is false? Maybe it really is true, but he just doesn’t believe it. Also, if the report has already gone to other Postmasters, deleting it may not have any real effect; the message may reappear from another pouch and continue to spread. This network is almost impossible to censor! A more effective choice would be add his own separate message, explaining his opinion or observations on the matter. The filename of his message would be the same as the filename of the original message but with some additional characters added to the end of it. For example:

Kansas-64113-2017-02-03-YRET87f “Hundreds of murders daily! Help! – Bill Smith”

Kansas-64113-2017-02-03-YRET87fXX “Hundreds of murders is an exaggeration. I know of only two last night. – Sam Jones”

Kansas-64113-2017-02-03-YRET87fXYY “I agree with Sam. A couple last night, but none for a week before that – Becky Holt”

Notice that it’s almost like a blog. You can add comments to another’s post by choosing the address carefully. However, it is completely unmoderated, and it’s not really possible to delete an entry once posted, so the reader has to decide for himself. This brings us back to the fact that if you want reliable information, you need an encrypted or “signed” message from a particular person you know and trust.

Emergency Services

Whenever there is a natural disaster or terrorist attack, you see pictures on the news of those bulletin boards and lists that people (or FEMA) set up to help loved ones find each other or discover who has survived, who has not, or who is missing. Add a network like this to the mix, and those systems could be far more effective. In this case, email addresses or even a person’s name and other information could be used (e.g. “SmithJoeRutheford, Address:87PleasantAve,NewOrleans”). Even though the normal use of the “destination address” is the destination of the message, it doesn’t have to be. If an emergency worker finds a body with identification, they could simply post a message with a “destination address” of the person’s name and any known information. Anyone looking for the person would have a chance of discovering them. If the disaster is local to some area such as with a hurricane or large terrorist attack, once the messages make it outside of the affected area the messages can be posted on the Internet or even emailed directly to the destination (if an email address was used). Once the message is on the Internet, or in an unaffected area, it becomes much easier to search for information within the pouches.

Ham radio is already a vital force in situations like these. With the addition of a network that allowed Hams to send and receive information to and from people without radios, or who are out of reach by radio, they could be even more effective. With “Packet radio”, which makes it possible to send digital information directly over Ham radio, it is possible that some messages could be relayed directly. This technology already has the capability of bridging directly into regular email, opening up all sorts of possibilities. In spite of restrictions about sending encrypted communications over Ham radio bands, there is much that could be done. If nothing else, the activities and policies of Postmasters could be coordinated and some important messages could be relayed. Network messages can be sent between radio operators and relayed by voice. Radio “call signs” are unique identifiers for specific operators and are already used in email addresses to supplement radio communication.

Other data transfer methods

Any time another network or method of transferring data is available, it can be used in conjunction with this one. Until TEOTWAWKI, mail pouches could be stored in DropBox or a similar service. As long as some sort of postal service is available, a pouch can simply be mailed from one Postmaster to another.

If the Internet, or some form of it, is available in some area, pouches can be passed through it. Anonymity is still mostly retained, especially for encrypted messages. It is possible that, even with the Internet down, some communities could set up Broadband Hamnet networks, which use regular routers with special antennas to connect computers that can be miles apart. Although these networks will not necessarily be able to connect to the Internet, they could certainly be used to transfer files between Postmasters.

If the Internet outage is just local, it might make sense to automatically forward any messages that are using email addresses directly on to an email server. This could certainly be overdone, resulting in spam, but when a pouch of messages makes its way outside of a disaster area to a place where regular email is available, it would be sensible to take advantage of the opportunity to get messages onto normal channels. Mail pouches could also be posted on a website, where they can be downloaded by people who want to search for missing people, find messages intended for them, or read any news they may find there.

It may sound funny, but carrier pigeons have actually been used to carry electronic devices larger than micro SD cards. Micro SD cards and USB keys are so small and light that they can easily travel (undetected if needed) on all sorts of vehicles, including cars, boats, trains, or balloons. Once the Postmaster system is generally known, any pouch that is found by almost anyone can end up back on the network. When I was a kid, I launched an 8-foot diameter tissue paper hot air balloon with a postcard attached. It came back to me from 40 miles away!

Any group of people who don’t have working computers can still write out their messages on slips of paper with the destination address on top and their message below (including a return address) and just pass them on to a Postmaster willing to enter them. Passwords could even be provided and used by the Postmaster to encrypt the message.