How can someone load a Blockstack app if the server is blocked or censored?

Community FAQ
#1

Hello,Blockstack team ,after I tried the blockstack todolist and graphite,I realize we still have to build the original app programs on a central server or vps or own servers.Although, users can store data in their local computers and share data to their friends(it’s great),but governments still can block the centralized server ip.And startups still have to pay high vps bandwidth fee to the vps merchants. For instance,If China use firewall block the ip address of “app.graphitedocs.com” or "blockstack-todos.appartisan.com " ,then users cannot login the app server program and use the features of blockstack todolist. Similarly. If “blockstack Facebook” and " blockstack Twitter " shows up,These would be blocked again in some countries.Do blockstack team have better ways to avoid these phenomenon?

@muneeb @jude @aaron

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#2

I can’t speak for other app developers, but this is exactly why Graphite is open source. THere’s still work to do to make it a little simpler to run locally, but the whole goal is that a user never has to visit app.graphitedocs.com to use the app (because it’s clear that countries will block certain ip addresses over time).

If you visit the open source repository for Graphite, there are instructions for running the app locally. You will experience all the same functionality but never have to resolve to a Graphite domain.

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#3

Check this forum post out too: Censorship resistant Blockstack Apps to avoid being shutdown like Telegram in Russia, and Video Chat apps in the Middle East

#4

You done nice job and make it opensource

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#5

In the future you’ll be able to distribute apps using Blockstack names. The app developer can register a Blockstack name for her app, and update the zone file of that name to point to multiple download locations. For example, the zone file could list multiple traditional https servers, using IP addresses and also the magnet link of a torrent from which the code can also be loaded. Another option we’re exploring is storing code of smaller apps directly in zone files.

This will remove a number of trusted third parties and censorship choke points: DNS, individual servers or networks - from the app distribution process.

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