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Posted on 05/04/2025 10:35:39 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Despite its dark image, the dark web is not entirely criminal. Human rights organizations use the platform to circumvent government censorship and spread life-saving information.
As social media networks continue to attract more users and as we get increasingly addicted to them, a new phenomenon is emerging: new underground movements that are changing cities and raising concerns.
While most people are busy documenting every detail of their lives, some are heading in the opposite direction. In the streets of Tel Aviv, New York, and Berlin, secret communities have been sprouting in recent years – groups of activists and change-seekers who prefer to operate under the radar.
A study published in 2023 in the Urban Studies Journal reported a nearly 20% rise in the number of secret communities in major cities over the past decade.
The reasons? Fatigue from overexposure and an increasing need for privacy, which sometimes go hand-in-hand with illegal or even criminal activity. The attempt to find belonging outside of social media is at times a means to create groundbreaking, covert art by creators who have no interest in being exposed.
A study published in 2023 in the Urban Studies Journal reported a nearly 20% rise in the number of secret communities in major cities over the past decade.
The reasons? Fatigue from overexposure and an increasing need for privacy, which sometimes go hand-in-hand with illegal or even criminal activity. The attempt to find belonging outside of social media is at times a means to create groundbreaking, covert art by creators who have no interest in being exposed.
A 2022 article in The Guardian described how urban artists produce underground performances in abandoned buildings, inviting only a small audience through secret codes.
One of the most striking testimonies comes from Julian P., a member of an underground art collective in New York.
In a June 2023 interview with Weird magazine, he said: “We gave up on the desire to be seen. We create only for ourselves. There are no limits, no rules, and that’s both thrilling and dangerous. It requires complete trust.”
He said the group meets in a different location each time – parking garages, basements, abandoned rooftops. “There’s a secret code, a very small circle. If you’re invited, you’re family.”
These secret communities are not limited to the world of culture. A 2023 article in The New York Times revealed that urban activist groups also choose to operate in secrecy, to bypass bureaucracy and lead efforts for social change.
“We prefer to work without ads, without slogans. Just real work on the ground,” one founder of such a group in New York said.
ALONGSIDE THE romantic image of a “secret community,” there are also darker aspects.
According to a 2022 RAND Corporation report on radicalization in small communities, these groups can lead to ideological extremism, especially when there is no external oversight.
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People who believe they operate in a secret world are fools. There are no secrets, including on the dark web.
BS.
The “Dark Web” is nothing more than websites that have an IP address but no domain name registered to that IP address.
To access a “Dark Web” site you enter an IP address like “45.79.56.181” into the browser instead of a domain name like “freerepublic.com.”
As a matter of fact, if you enter “45.79.56.181” into your browser you will be taken to freerepublic.com.
The only thing sinister about the “Dark Web” is the name.
The RAND Corp. IS a small, ideologically extremist community, overseen by alphabet agency radicals. You can see some of their media influencers pushing the deepstate agenda here on FR on any given day.
The media needs to make it seem sinister as it does not fall under authoritarian control by the Democratic Politburo.
That’s interesting. A simple explanation.
Translation. *There is no government though police control.*
*The right might do something we disapprove of.*
I believe most school shootings are coordinated on the “dark web”
To access a “Dark Web” site you enter an IP address like “45.79.56.181” into the browser instead of a domain name like “freerepublic.com.”
As a matter of fact, if you enter “45.79.56.181” into your browser you will be taken to freerepublic.com.
The only thing sinister about the “Dark Web” is the name."
This is a very important distinction. What you describe is actually the "Deep Web" not "Dark Web". There are three layers...
There is myth that the deep web and the dark web are the same. This creates unwarranted fear of the words "deep web" because it is automatically associated with the dark web. This is because the words "deep and dark" web are always used together as synonymous, it is deceptive. So folks fear communication clients and application protocols that utilize the middle layer and deep web. This myth needs to be dispelled because they are not the same at all. The deep web is as safe and secure as you make it. It is just an empty space to use in anyway we like. The deep web is actually more secure and safer than either the top or bottom layers when utilizing a safe protocol. In fact secure connections for systems to systems utilize this deep layer such as:
Personal email accounts
Content on your social media accounts
Online banking and investments
Private online databases
Medical records and private health information
Content contained within scientific and academic databases.
The deep web is a wide open empty ocean with no stereotypical associations at all. Only the top level indexed layer and the very bottom "TOR" layers are controlled protocols. The top layer protocols are of course the typical controlled searchable indexed level and requires approved Domain Names using the WWW and HTTP protocols. Similarly the bottom dark web where all the illegal stuff no one wants to associate with is completely within the TOR browser protocol and .onion network. While it is also in the deep web it is not at all a representative example of the deep web.
Everything in between, the deep web, is just neutral wide open space for any protocol to be used for two way communications or data transfer. You can even make your own. All that is required are a local client on one end, a server on the other end, or both on both ends. and have a common address and assigned connection port. This myth needs to be dispelled because soon we will have to utilize this middle deep web. It is our only option to use the web without being part of either the strongly censored and controlled top level, or being associated with the bottom dark web TOR .onion layer where the illegal and elicit activities are.
Article
Understanding the Layers of the Internet: Surface vs. Deep vs. Dark
There are more than one billion web pages on the Internet, and 4.8 billion people around the world use the Internet daily. But did you know that only 10% of websites on the Internet are indexed by Google, Yahoo, Bing, and other search engines and accessible to the general public? These websites are called the "surface web," and the other 90% of websites are the "deep and dark web." These are the layers of the Internet.Think of the internet as the ocean, with the surface web as the top layer and visible for miles and miles. The deep web, then, is the deeper part of the ocean just below the surface. This is also accessible to people but requires a bit of work to access. The dark web is the very bottom of the ocean and is only accessible to a small number of people who know exactly how to get there and has the resources and time to do it.Let's take a look at what kinds of web pages are on each layer (surface, deep, and dark), and what that means to the general Internet user.
The surface web includes websites that we are all familiar with and likely access on a daily basis. This is the portion of the Internet that is readily available to the general public and searchable with standard web search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. The surface web is also known as the “Visible Web.”The surface web includes websites like:
Social media sites including Facebook and Instagram
Business websites such as Everound.com
Wikipedia
Online video sharing platforms like YouTube
Essentially, any website that appears after you complete a search on Google or another search engine is on the surface web.
What is the Deep Web?
Unlike the surface web, the deep web is part of the Internet where the contents are not indexed by search engines. The deep web is only accessible with some sort of authentication - a password or other means to be able to view the data and information. Using the previous ocean analogy, a person needs to have a resource to go “below the surface.”Why is information on the deep web harder to access? Without authentication, that information is at risk for public consumption.The deep web contains sensitive information like:
Personal email accounts
Content on your social media accounts
Online banking and investments
Private online databases
Medical records and private health information
Content contained within scientific and academic databases.
A lot of what exists on the deep web consists of personal information that you wouldn’t want to turn up in a web search — like your social security number or credit card information. This is private and could be misused in a data breach.Remember, if you must provide a username, password, or some other type of authentication, the information you access is on the deep web.
What is the Dark Web?
The dark web IS a part of the deep web but cannot be accessed through traditional web browsers. The dark web is intentionally hidden on the Internet. Originally designed to share information and communicate by the US Military, the dark web is now accessed by others.Accessing the dark web is not an easy task for the general Internet user. Regular browsers like Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome are unable to access dark web websites. The dark web uses what’s called The Onion Router (often referred to as Tor) hidden service protocol. “Tor” servers are undetectable from search engines and provide complete anonymity.Although not all activity on the dark web is harmful, there is a growing population of cybercriminals that use the dark web maliciously and for illicit purposes. Some cybercriminals sell sensitive information on the dark web that can be used to exploit companies and can lead to identity theft. The dark web also is a place where some cyber attacks are planned.Here are a few examples of what can be found on the dark web:
Stolen information: If a company experiences a data breach because of a cybersecurity failure, there's a chance the stolen data may be up for grabs on the dark web. Other stolen information for sale includes login credentials and hacked Netflix and Amazon accounts.
Illicit substances: Believe it or not, you can find and purchase illicit drugs and toxic chemicals on the dark web. Prescription drugs are also available on the dark web.
Dangerous and disturbing images and information: Unfortunately, the dark web can be a dangerous and ugly place. Human trafficking, pornography, gore, and counterfeit goods have found a home on the dark web.
https://www.everound.com/insights/under ... e-internet
“That’s interesting. A simple explanation.”
Yes, E. Pluribus Unum explained the address tech very well. But there is much more to this. It is a myth I have been trying to dispel for many years now. More important very details in #10.
‘To access a “Dark Web” site you enter an IP address...’
How does a “Dark Web” site get an IP address?
The porn web.
Fixed it.
Thank you for that explanation that helps give an idea how it works. But here is something a lot do not understand about addressing. Even an address like 45.79.56.181 is in the top level domain indexed net. What is very cool is that you can actually make your own custom address/URL to connect apps and clients to each other in the wild web/deep web and they will find each other as long as they are on a common assigned port using the same URL scheme.
Examples would be with the Gemini Protocol the address would begin with “ Gemini:: “ rather than HTTP, HTTPS, or WWW. Other apps and protocols use their own URL addressing schemes like “Zeronet” uses “username addresses” such as joeblow@zeronet like email addresses do. Addresses in the Onion Router Protocol use a number and the extension “ .onion “. An encrypted P2P chat app called “qTox” uses a military grade encryption and a hexkey as URL addresses and IDs for users.
So the point is, anyone could create their own private network using a unique custom addressing scheme and putting the app/client on the same common port.
This is what Companies and Corporations do to create their own private network in the wild. No domain name needed, no permissions to operate servers, nothing. Wide open to do what you like without the TLD controls and censorship. This is how easy it would be to ditch the normal TLD internet and create a whole alternate internet. Simply custom porting and URLs. This is what the TOR network did. No infrastructure changes at all needed. Just portal access to the internet through an ISP.
“How does a “Dark Web” site get an IP address?”
Please see #10 about the difference between the “Deep” Web and the “Dark” Web. They are not the same thing. But your Dark Web question concerns the bottom layer that is wrapped up solely in the TOR Browser network and has unique URL addressing ending with the .onion extension. Commonly referred to as the “TOR Network”.
Here is an explanation how the addressing works...
https://whatismyipaddress.com/tor
Thank you for posting this article. It is a very important education folks really do need so they understand the reality better. I’m just sorry it doesn’t explain the very real difference between the “Deep” Web and the “Dark” Web. They are NOT the same...
“The porn web.
Fixed it.”
Except that is not at all close to accurate... Read #10.
Well done
Id like to know how to navigate it
I ask young people and while they are always masters of tech and the websites they love they are not internet savvy by default
Not even
Indeed hackers in prison rap bars.
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