Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ut-sally!pyramid!pesnta!phri!roy From: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) Newsgroups: net.news.adm Subject: Re: A proposal to distribute costs Message-ID: <2413@phri.UUCP> Date: Thu, 14-Aug-86 10:37:20 EDT Article-I.D.: phri.2413 Posted: Thu Aug 14 10:37:20 1986 Date-Received: Fri, 15-Aug-86 06:33:11 EDT References: <-127674843@sysvis> Reply-To: roy@phri.UUCP (Roy Smith) Organization: Public Health Research Inst. (NY, NY) Lines: 42 In article <-127674843@sysvis> sys1!george writes: > > 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 Amid rather a lot of misconception, George has hit upon (or at least, skirted past) one good point. As an example, take the metropolitan New York area. We've got two USENET backbone sites, cmcl2 in the 212 area (Manhatten) and philabs in 914 (Westchester). Much to my surprise, there are sites right here in Manhatten that call philabs to get news. Why? I'm not sure, but the lack of any centralized news feed registry is surely a contributing factor. On the other hand, it takes time and effort (read: money) to run such a registry; perhaps it is a worthwhile project for Usenix to take on. I'm not talking about just coordinating the USENET map project (although that is indeed a very important thing), but some place that would keep track of who has feeds available. When somebody needs a news feed, they could call up this place and get a referral. Presumably this place would also be in charge of applying mild presure to new sites to make a good estimate of how many sites thay can in turn feed, and sign up (kind of like doctors asking next-of-kin to donate organs for transplants -- not required, but suggested). Actually, as I understand it, stargate will provide much the type of service George is talking about. A few big sites in each area would get their news via a cable feed (or right off the bird). They would then distribute the articles via local phone calls to the other sites in the area, much like the backbone sites do now. Area codes, BTW, may not be the best way to divide the net into "local calling areas". Corporations (and Universities) may have private intra-organizational links that cross area code boundaries. For example, we used to get news from timeinc (Time-Life's publishing technology group in Manhatten). Since office space is so expensive in Manhatten, Time actually had their machine room in New Jersey and had a leased line accross the Hudson River; this gave them local calling in both 201 and 212. -- Roy Smith, {allegra,philabs}!phri!roy System Administrator, Public Health Research Institute 455 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016