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From: sl@van-bc.UUCP
Newsgroups: can.general
Subject: Re: Status of Canadian domain
Message-ID: <1252@van-bc.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Aug-87 14:09:01 EDT
Article-I.D.: van-bc.1252
Posted: Fri Aug 21 14:09:01 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 22-Aug-87 18:10:40 EDT
References: <8708190102.AA05431@ephemeral.ai.toronto.edu> <298@ncrcan.UUCP> <8708211151.AA16007@ephemeral.ai.toronto.edu>
Reply-To: sl@van-bc.UUCP (Stuart Lynne)
Distribution: can
Organization: Public Access Network, Vancouver, BC.
Lines: 63

In article <8708211151.AA16007@ephemeral.ai.toronto.edu> lamy@ai.toronto.edu (Jean-Francois Lamy) writes:
>
>Rayan's fears about namespace explosion are especially important wrt to
>UUCP: thanks to Stuart I can now make my Mac into a UUCP node -- and
>I would should I leave the academic environment.  Small Unix systems and
>MS-DOS systems already had that capability.

While there is going to be an explosion in the number of sites, I don't
think that there is going to be a corresponding explosion in the namespace.
While potentially every PC in Canada with a modem will *eventually* become a
site, *very* few will want/need to have a 2nd level domain name. 

For example given the current example of the uucp zone in the US, it costs
about $150 US per year to have a 2nd level domain name. Thats a bit steep
for you average pc oriented site. Most are going to opt to join a domain
park and be satisfied with a 3rd or even 4th level domain name at a much
reduced price.

That's what I'm trying to do in Vancouver. I would like to setup a 2nd level
domain called vnet.ca. This domain would handle all mail traffic for small
sites in the Lower Mainland. At the same time I'm setting up links to UUNET
with a Telebit Trailblazer to get a very low cost method of getting mail and
news to/from the US. We operate on a cost plus basis, passing the cost of
these services back to the people using them. In this manner the people who
reside in vnet.ca can (no pun intended) have a very low cost and robust mail
system, which they can use to interact with other uucp type users, arpa and
even cdn... type users.

>Given the nature of Canada, and the structure of the phone rates, it is
>unlikely that a kitchen site would do much long-distance work, especially
>when the bigger machines may speak UUCP over X.25 or be part of the Canadian
>Internet.  So we are likely to have geographical clusters, at least in the
>UUCP clique.

Actually your average IBM PC can use X.25 now. With the Hayes 2400 modem and
Hayes Smartcomm III. Datapac also has dial in X.25 ports. Presto.. instant
access to the rest of Canada.

Personally I think that the Trailblazers are the only way to go. PS. Who
else in Canada is looking at these things? I would like to get some
connections to eastern canada ( almost everywhere is eastern canada from
here ), for mail links. If I can deliver direct it saves you downloading
from UUNET after I upload it.

>In other words, I think geographical sub-domains should be registered as soon
>as possible to host all the smaller machines.  One per postal code is a bit
>much.  Cities might be nice, but provinces look about right for the moment.

This is my preference as well. The only problem is that it may have problems
in who would run them. I have an aversion to government / big business
setting up to do so. And I don't know that we have the right to usurp that
type of namespace -- although it doesn't mean we couldn't try.

>
>
>the 1995 version?: Jean-Francois@jfl-ml.M4K1E9.on.can
>

my 1995 version?: Stuart.Lynne@van-bc.V3H1S1.bc.can


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{ihnp4!alberta!ubc-vision,uunet}!van-bc!Stuart.Lynne Vancouver,BC,604-937-7532