>Handshake still functions over IP and as such a government could potentially block all IPs associated with Handshake via similar mechanisms that are used to block a single IP
Blockchains are decentralized. Sometimes a fixed set of bootstrapping nodes is used to improve user experience (rapid connection to the network when opening the app), but if these nodes are blocked it is quite easy to rotate them (and even to make it less easy for an attacker to know the identities of all nodes). A legitimate website that cannot be blocked because it has an unrelated focus can even be used as a shield (some sort of partnership).
>And DNS as it stands is fairly seizure resistant as long as you use secure passwords and the customer services folks don’t get tricked into resetting your account or something.
You do not know what you are talking about I'm afraid. The internet is censored like hell, and I am not talking about living in China or other authoritative regimes. Activists not agreeing with what you are saying try to censor you like hell these days and registrars bow under the pressure. This is not about right-wing hate speech. Just try to start a political platform about a sensitive topic and see how it goes.
Do you want to advocate to allow the marriage of young children and start a democratic discussion about it? Or do you want to host a community of consenting adults believing in a family arrangements in which the man is the lead of the woman and providing practical life advice including how to spank your wife? You'll spend your life wondering when your registrar will take your website down. And these topics really are just examples.
I have seen countless websites disappear (and forums where activists organize themselves to pressure registrars). If you confront them and put them in a corner, they admit that they are censoring just because they do not agree, but they invoke the notion of "higher social interest", and "the ends justify the means", and in essence "this is a holy war, they will be collateral damages but we need to prevent irresponsible speech" (which really is the new way to justify intolerance - a very sickening rhetoric).
For example with the example of wife spanking among consenting adults (there is not even a knowledge asymmetry between the woman and the man in these communities, the methods and psychology behind this arrangement is discussed openly, and they actually choose this lifestyle because they want the psychological outcomes - they want to program themselves at a subconscious level so to speak. This is totally consensual), I know that many people here think that only a vulnerable and exploited woman could agree with that. And I could point you to women advocating for this, and even animating YouTube channels about it - that may be taken down anytime. And this was only to provide a graphic example, but this not limited to this category of topic.
My point is that every majority begins with a minority, and like-minded people, not hating anyone and not propagating hate should be free to live freely even if they lifestyle and values are sickening for some people.
Not so long we tries to look for a registrar who not having vague TOS allowing to them to take down your website if their disagree with the content. Wording providing them large flexibility to censor. After over 1 week of research, we have only found one. But even this was actually based in a country where a legal action can easily be taken to force them to terminate service. Ironically, we then looked into Russia and we found that hosting there would be our best option if the situation gets heated, because of the politics between them and the West. When it gets to that point, you know something is wrong.
The reality is the internet is very censored. Extremely censored nowadays, but there is a lot of propaganda going on to justify this environment. People enjoy censorship until they are the ones being censored. It is like religion, people love seeing they opinion win and others be destroyed. 90% of people happily close their eyes if they opinion and interests are the ones being unfairly and oppressively favored. Handshake is solving a real and serious problem much deeper than what you and most people understand. Handshake is absolutely needed and the problem they solve is REAL, very real and very serious.
If you live a normal life, you always think that there is no problem about anything. But if you try to drive change in the world and be a thought leader, then you see things differently and you are confronted to the problems and frictions that prevented your innovation from emerging naturally without your help.
The problem faced by democracies these days is that laws are made for those voting from their sofas and "having nothing to hide". However, if there is one thing we should have learned by now (but that nobody seems to have learned) it is that laws and society can only be sound if they are focused on creating the environment that those who create democratic value, intellectual value and economic value need. Not the one that those who want to feel safe, and have everything while doing as little effort as possible want. Giving power to this type of people will always screw a society. But ignoring and oppressing them flat out as was done in the past is not good either. So we started of on the extreme right (monarchy), we moved to the extreme left (populism), so now is the time to find a middle ground. We need to have a conversation about limiting the political influence of most passive "citizens", who maybe should not be considered citizens, until they up their intellectual game. Intellectual-meritocracy-like citizenship system, that would need to be appropriately designed not to elevate one school of thought, philosophical premise or opinion as the only acceptable starting point. But this getting out of topic.
If you are interested in this conversation and want in hearing more about these ideas, and even to contribute and share your thoughts, there is a fast-growing international political movement. The mailing list is not public yet but drop me a line and I'll ask them to add you: samuel233[---at---]protonmail.com.