ESP Biography

Regular e-mail is not well protected. It can be read by the people who run the mail servers and by others who intercept the data. In this class, we will learn how to set up PGP encryption to protect your messages. We'll also consider secure webmail services, self-hosted solutions, and mobile apps for encrypted communication.

Does your computer follow your instructions, or does it take orders from Apple or Microsoft? The big software companies sell apps that are black boxes. You can't see the code, and you're not allowed to change it. They have the power to control what your computer does. That can lead to unwanted restrictions and invasions of privacy. The alternative is free software, developed by people who share the source code for everyone to use. Free software is what powers most of the web, but most people run non-free code on their PCs and smartphones. We'll talk about important free software projects like Linux, GNU, and Firefox, and we'll look at free alternatives to things like Microsoft Office, Gmail, Facebook, and the iPhone. You'll see how much control the big tech companies have, and how to escape!