Nicholas Merrill & Calyx Institute - Total Privacy for the Internet of the Future?

Calyx Institute - Total Privacy the Internet of the Future?

 

We have all had ideas that we thought could change the world. Problem is, most of us are too lazy to act on them. Nicholas Merrill is a person devoid of such laziness. His dream? To create an ISP that is incapable of providing detailed information on your internet usage. Enter, the Calyx Institute.

The Calyx Institute is the brainchild of Nicholas Merrill. Its goal? To be a “telecommunications company that prioritizes privacy over profits”. Interesting huh?

Activities include:

• Promoting ‘best practices’ with regard to privacy and freedom of expression within the telecommunications industry
• Conducting research into privacy technology for the Telecommunications and Internet Provider industries
• Providing a ‘test bed’ environment for the development and deployment of secure voice, data and mobile services
• Legal advocacy and defense

Calyx Institute has a two fold plan. 1. Create a system that is simply incapable of complying with FBI demands for stored email, activity logs, etc. 2. Use all legal and technical means available to protect the privacy and integrity of user data. And according to CNET.com, “until Congress changes the law, a privacy-first ISP like Calyx will remain perfectly legal.”

Later this month Nicholas Merrill will be travelling to San Francisco in hopes to acquire funding from venture capitalists and individual angel investors. He is also currently running a crowd sourcing fund raising campaign @ indegogo to raise $2 million dollars.

As of publishing, the Calyx Institute fund raising campaign has raise just shy of $43,000 dollars. Considering that the campaign has only been live for under 24 hours, and there are still 63 days left…the fund raising campaign has a projected run rate $3 million dollars. Nicholas thinks that the Calyx Institute can get up and running with $1 million but would like $2 million. His funding raising campaign has a run rate of under$3 million. Let work together and get this guy all the money he need to create the ISP of the future.

Here are some “Perks” of donating to Calyx Institute’s crowd sourcing fund raising campaign.

• $25 Calyx sticker - A very special Thank You + 1 Calyx sticker (perhaps for your laptop)
• $50 5 Calyx stickers and 5 buttons - We will send you five Calyx stickers and five Calyx buttons
• $100 Stickers buttons + shirt - We will send you five Calyx stickers and five Calyx buttons and a Calyx T-shirt ( you need to tell us what size )
• $250 Calyx T-shirt + 5 stickers - We will send you a Calyx T-shirt + 5 Calyx stickers and 5 Calyx buttons + Calyx Freedom Founder Acknowledgment on Calyx website (optional). You will need to tell us what size T-shirt you want.
• $1,000 Visit in NYC with Nick - For a $1000 donation you can come (at your own expense) to NYC and get to meet with Nick. Additionally, we will give you a Calyx T-shirt + 5 Calyx stickers and 5 Calyx buttons + Calyx Freedom Founder Acknowledgment on Calyx website (optional). You will need to tell us what size T-shirt you want.
• $2,500 Visit and presentation by Nick - If you donate $2500 you can get all of the above - stickers, a t-shirt + Calyx Freedom Founder Acknowledgment on Calyx website (optional) and a visit and presentation by Calyx founder Nicholas Merrill at the venue of your choice (within the continental United States)
• $5,000 Visit by Nick + Board member - If you donate $5000 you can get all of the above - stickers, a t-shirt + Calyx Freedom Founder Acknowledgment on Calyx website (optional) and a visit and presentation by Calyx founder Nicholas Merrill and one of the Calyx Advisory board members at the venue of your choice (within the continental United States)
• $25,000 Join Calyx Advisory Board - For a $25,000 donation you can become a member of the Calyx Advisory Board ( for a 6-month term, subject to approval by existing board )

Is Calyx Institute the ISP of the future? There is only one way to find out. Please head over to the Calyx Institute Indegogo fund raising campaign and give them some monies!

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