Re: encouraging good use of p2p

Dan,

This may not the best venue to respond with a point of detail, but...  I 
see some potential problems (not necessarily insurmountable) with your 
scenario.

For background:  my current role involves some IT support of research 
systems on the Oxford University network, so I'm exposed to some of the 
policy considerations.  There is a clear policy against use of protocols 
that effectively provide service to outside users.  This from a recent 
discussion about Skype:
[[
The fact that PCs effectively become Skype Servers means that use of skype
is in contravention of rule 13.(6)(a):

"(6) (a) No computer connected to the university network may be used to
give any person who is not a member or employee of the University or its
colleges access to any network services outside the department or college
where that computer is situated."

(From http://www.admin.ox.ac.uk/statutes/regulations/196-052.shtml)
]]

So, if you proceed with this topic, I think that consideration should be 
given to ensuring that participation in forwarding activities is optional 
for the client, and that the protocols used are sufficiently transparent 
that local usage policies can be enforced reasonably easily by firewalls, etc.

There may be some parallels here with the requirements placed on the IETF 
OPES working group to ensure that end-to-end transparency was not 
irrevocably damaged by deployment of IETF-sanctioned mediating services.

#g
--

At 13:06 29/06/05 -0500, Dan Connolly wrote:


>Our recent discussion of TAG future directions...
>   http://www.w3.org/2001/tag/2005/06/14-16-minutes.html#item09
>
>included discussion of integrating P2P distribution protocols
>with the web; e.g. for the case where somebody puts a home movie
>on the web, it becomes wildly popular (because media
>flash-fires happen), and the load on the origin server is
>spread around bittorrent-style.
>
>Sandro pointed out in internal discussion that the recent
>decision in the grokster case...
>MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd.
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MGM_Studios%2C_Inc._v._Grokster%2C_Ltd.
>http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/04pdf/04-480.pdf
>
>motivates the P2P to find legitimate application or endorsement
>of their technology.
>
>There may be a real opportunity for W3C here. If there are
>three or more interested W3C members, I can help them get
>a little group started (as open as they like) to noodle on
>this some more.
>
>
>
>--
>Dan Connolly, W3C http://www.w3.org/People/Connolly/
>D3C2 887B 0F92 6005 C541  0875 0F91 96DE 6E52 C29E

------------
Graham Klyne
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Received on Wednesday, 29 June 2005 23:20:24 UTC