Drug market posts Silk Road Charter, extols freedom of expression

Drug Marketplace the Silk Road has had a tough time as of late. The past few days have seen it hit with a massive DDOS attack that crippled its infrastructure, sending many members into a frenzy. However, the admins have now got it under control and to celebrate, have posted up a Silk Road Charter, that lets everyone know just why they operate such a lucrative site.

As part of the announcement that the storm had passed, Silk Road's owner, Dread Pirate Roberts, said that he was thankful for the efforts of staff and outsourced helpers and that ultimately, while the attack was temporarily devastating, it had made the site far stronger. Silk Road's security was now far heftier and would be able to weather much more aggressive attacks in the future.

The Silk Road charter reads less like a dealer's manifesto and more like a declaration of independence

Alongside this, he published the Silk Road Charter, which DPR claims has been in the works for some time and has helped guide him through some “difficult decisions [he's] had to make along the way.” It's a short document, but an interesting one. It suggests that the Silk Road's mission is to:

“Have voluntary interaction between individuals be the foundation of human civilization.” It claims that everyone has self-ownership of their, “own bodies, thoughts and will,” and that everyone is responsible for their own actions. If you infringe on someone else's rights, you should be held accountable however.

It also proposes that everyone should be treated equally, “without exception,” and that everyone should strive to improve themselves throughout their lives and in “all actions.”

Some of it reads like Twitter inspiration, but a lot of it makes great sense and sounds like despite how much money DPR must be making from Silk Road, that there's a higher purpose to its existence. As if to emphasise that, he also announced a sale to apologise for the site's down time, giving everyone 48 hours without commissions. He also asked sellers to pass on at least some of that saving to customers.

KitGuru Says: Doesn't freedom of individuality come from strange quarters? While governments might talk about it, people like Kim Dotcom and DPR really push those ideals forward with the products they offer – even if their legality is often called into question. 

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