Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!ogicse!zephyr.ens.tek.com!uw-beaver!ssc-vax!carroll
From: carroll@ssc-vax (Jeff Carroll)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.tcp-ip
Subject: Re: building an interstate (data) highway with no roadmaps
Message-ID: <4143@ssc-bee.ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: 18 Jun 91 20:47:08 GMT
References: <03E3717DA0204ADD@OREGON.UOREGON.EDU> <9106171742.AA26647@phloem.uoregon.edu>
Sender: news@ssc-vax.UUCP
Reply-To: carroll@ssc-vax.UUCP (Jeff Carroll)
Organization: Boeing Aerospace & Electronics
Lines: 35

In article <9106171742.AA26647@phloem.uoregon.edu> jqj@DUFF.UOREGON.EDU writes:
>From my perspective, EMV's important point is that there is no equivalent
>of a AAA (or any other national Automobile Association) to provide travel
>information services, personalized maps, triptics, towing services, motel
>certifications, etc. for normal people (rather than hackers like us). 
>Perhaps what we need is a users' group that is tied to international
>networking rather than to a particular computer vendor or even to a
>particular internet or particular protocol stack.  "American Networking
>Association" anyone?

	Yup. Even with distributed file systems there's no way of knowing
_a_priori_ which volumes to mount, or to attempt to mount.

	There's something of a start being made toward this type of service
in the form of servers which provide information on other servers. An 
example which comes to mind is "archie", a server (running at a location
that I haven't yet committed to memory) which serves as a pointer to other
archive sites for various types of code and documentation.

	Before netland becomes tractable to the general public, it will
have to emulate the functionality of a fairly complete videotex system.

	Another problem which will eventually have to be addressed (once
the issue of commercial use of the Internet is put to bed) is protocols
for handling commercial transactions (how to pay your dues to the Network
Association, or make a contribution to FTPers Anonymous).




-- 
Jeff Carroll		carroll@ssc-vax.boeing.com

"...and of their daughters it is written, 'Cursed be he who lies with 
any manner of animal.'" - Talmud