Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!caip!clyde!cbatt!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!convex!sysvis!notes From: notes@sysvis.UUCP Newsgroups: net.news.adm Subject: A proposal to distribute costs Message-ID: <-127674843@sysvis> Date: Fri, 1-Aug-86 16:04:00 EDT Article-I.D.: sysvis.-127674843 Posted: Fri Aug 1 16:04:00 1986 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Aug-86 05:51:59 EDT Lines: 58 Nf-ID: #N:sysvis:-127674843:000:3782 Nf-From: sysvis.UUCP!notes Aug 1 15:04:00 1986 Just to get productive discussion going here... What do you think of the idea of setting up one USENET "master site" per telephone area code? This would allow DISTRIBUTED RESPONSIBILITY in getting USENET traffic organized within each sector. New sites might query the master site for locating feeds. Area code mod.maps would be kept and updated by master sites for their own areas. Master sites in each area code would maintain contact with surrounding area code master sites in order to determine the best (most cost effective) LOCAL methods of getting notes/news exchanged (see map on last page). It would be incumbent on master sites to STORE a FULL SET of news/notes files. Sub-sites in each area code would dial surrounding area code master sites to get sub-sets of current traffic, thus significantly lowering the phone bill of the master. This method of distributed responsibility (and cost) might be more comfortable for most sites, master or not. If anyone has any valid public comment on this idea, please ADD to the discussion (flame > /dev/null). I really want to see if USENET can sustain a productive discussion--pertinent to one current issue. BTW -- CONSTRUCTIVE criticism of an idea is NOT a flame, it ADDS to discussion. It really does no good to reply to me by e-mail (you are welcome to do so) since this sort of idea must have more than majority support among active USENET sites. To shorten some propogation times across the net, it might be reasonable to maintain "Time Zone Master sites." These sites should be able to shift traffic across country in a fairly rapid, and smooth, manner. Planning alternate and backup sites is done by the master sites, working it out in their own areas. Several area code sites should dial out of an area code, each picking up a different subdivision of the total material (and gain- ing some parallelism). As soon as new data is gotten into an area code, its dissemination to other sites could be started immediately, via local calls, the master site being the first updated. I realize that the material in this posting is only a basis for discussion. It is not meant to be a completed formal plan. That's how I would like to see it all end, with a formal, acceptable to all, plan. Are there be objections to organized decentralization of responsibility and cost? I don't see how. A proposal map is on the next page to show how this all might be worked out. | Area Code "A" | Area Code "B" | | | | | / Site 1 | | | These sites dial / Site 2 | | | Master site B for | 3 ----|---------> Master Site B | | notes/news feeds \ 4 | / | | (each gets 1/n total) \ 5 | / | | (thus sharing costs ) \ . | / all sites local | | (ALL then update MS.) / \ n | / into Master site | | / | Site 1 \ | | / | Site 2 \ These sites dial | | Master Site A <------------|---- 3 | Master Site A for | | | 4 / news/notes feeds | | | 5 / (each gets 1/n total)| | (Dissemination is local | . (thus sharing costs )| | from both master sites) | n (ALL then update MS.)| | | | ...!ihnp4!sysvis!sys1!george