[10378] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Joining Forces on the Internet
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Uzi Paz)
Wed Jul 3 20:14:10 1996
Date: Wed, 03 Jul 1996 17:43:57 -0500 (CDT)
From: Uzi Paz <uzipaz@bgumail.bgu.ac.il>
To: Multiple recipients of list PACS-L <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
------------ JFI.let - Joining Forces on the Internet ----------------
The following is a new initiative that I want to push for the Internet.
Its main purpose is to create counter forces to one of the Internet's
absurds.
Please help this initiative.
The Problem by an example:
==========================
Ok, let's say I want to maintain information on Internet Service
Providers, either in my bookmarks file, my Web page, or anywhere else.
I could either maintain a list of ISPs, but this is very hard job.
I can gather an ever and rapidly growing list of the providers, but why
doing this. Happily other people do it as well. I can just hold a
reference to their list of ISPs.
So I decide to maintain a list of ISP lists. Nice, but every now and
then another person or institute are starting their own list of ISPs.
Due to the exponential character of this growth, it is only a matter of
time until maintaining a list of lists would become a hard full time
job, but why doing this? Happily other people did this as well. I can
just hold a reference to their lists of lists of ISPs.
This list will suffer the exponential growth as well. So you may just
wait until someone else will do it for you. This is an absurd.
You will find yourself maintaining lists of lists of lists of ... lists
of ISPs.
The problem by another example:
===============================
OK, let's say I want to maintain a list of Web-Search-Engine ....
(the omitted text here is equivalent to the one in the first example ...).
How many people investing time in maintaining a list which contains:
a list of WSEs which contains also references to other lists of WSEs,
in which each of them also contains a reference to other equivalent
lists ?
The JFI initiative for a counter trend
======================================
Let's look at the first example.
Specifically, let us look at two people who maintain a list of ISPs.
Now let's say you are telling each one of them about the other one, and
let's assume that each of them wants his list to be complete.
Now they will watch each other's list to find about those ISPs that are
not on their list. If they'll do a good job, their lists would become
identical. It is however a very hard job to browse periodically the
other's list looking for a needle of a new items on a very long list it
will take a huge amount of time.
If on the other hand, they will decide to join their forces, and tell
each other immediately whenever they find a new item, the result will be
the same, but it will take them much less time, they may even maintain
a single list with peers, which will save them more time. Then you don't
need to hold a list of all lists because they are all identical.
(It is suggested however that you hold a link to more than one, because
sites, links and services may go down).
-----
Now let's look at some site that do not want to join forces. It will
stay away behind.
Bugs
====
Every initiative has bugs in it. Something that makes it less effective
or cause side effects. There are no such that I'm aware of for this
initiative, so if something comes up to your mind, please let me know.
A discussion is good both for spreading the force and for making all of
us more involve in it. Also it helps debugging it.
Your part in this
=================
Just whenever you find some duplicate work on the internet, send the
sites involved an info about the other sites, along with this or an
equivalent letter. Every success worth your efforts.
In order to join the JFI you should:
1. agree with it.
2. Try to share forces for information that you maintain by yourself.
It is also appreciable if you will help other to join forces, but this
may take too much time from you so you may consider yourself part of
the JFI without this condition.
-----
In order to receive a copy of this letter, send e-mail to
uzipaz@bgumail.bgu.ac.il leaving the BODY empty and with only:
Subject: get jfi.let
-----
Uzi Paz
