Sharing information faster, easier and cheaper.
Introduction
This article will investigate the feasibility and implementation of distributed systems that will enable home computer users and commercial business to share ad-hoc and business critical information, practically for free cutting out the middle man in the process.
The system will not rely on web search engines (goodbye to many a search engine) usually used to increase potential exposure to clientele; traditional third party web hosting would not be needed either (take that service provider expense of the list). The Linux operating system can be utilized instead of MS to decrease licensing and running cost. Lastly the application could decidedly be made open source, making the software free as well.
The code for this system can be made available to those interested.
Background
The internet (web pages) as it exists today can share information that is visually formatted in the form of websites. Other non visual protocols exist that enable visual applications to communicate via the internet.
The author has found that during a web search for information lot of ‘clutter’ exists in the form of marketing ads and other non-relevant or even offensive content, lengthening the time to process, sort, and filter and interact with unneeded information that the end user is presented with.
The proposed systems aim is to present raw information only. This may take the form of a price list, a resume, promotions, sales clearances, a private item for sale or a description of professional services on offer. In short only the information needed without the additional junk.
The system can be thought of as a commercial wikipedia without being web based and without a dependency on third party services. Otherwise explained as a mix of business-to-business (B2B) , person-to-person (P2P) , Computer-to-Computer or Database-to-Database technologies for that matter.
Approach
Since current distributed systems are already responsible for sixty percent of the Internet’s traffic and the protocol open source, the protocol can be adapted to cater for the searching of arbitrary data. End users and businesses can make any data available for searching by any other connected user on a global scale.
Keywords that usually would have been entered into a web search engine can now be supplied to a distributed application that runs on the user or business local computer, returning only relevant data.
The user is not overloaded with information and irrelevant content, decreasing the time to get to the information the user is after.
Architecture
This system can be implemented by reusing the communication layer of an existing peer to peer file sharing application (currently used to share music files with) and providing a means to search data within files. This will result in a robust, proven and capable system.
When relevant data is found, the file can be downloaded directly from the source. File sizes will remain relatively small, since it will consist mainly of compressed relavant text.
Comparisons would be a crucial part of such a system. To gain value from a price list for example it should be comparable to other prices for similar products located elsewhere in the world.
Interfaces
Being able to connect to data in other formats than data files is a feature of the system that increases its commercial feasibility.
Connecting to data in databases instead of storing information in large quantities of small files enables large businesses to expose real-time or current information to customers. The idea after all is to get to the information, and that information is of course mostly kept in databases!
Identified Risks
Governments may be slow in reacting with legislation to protect local markets, such as trade restrictions and sanctions, since the system will allow for fast trading on a global scale.
Out of scope
Web services ‘clients’ for the network is not seen as a necessary feature for the system, since interfaces to connect to databases is already catered for.
Web services however may be put to good use in future. The current strategy of anti-file sharing authorities is to block communication ports that are usually used by file sharing applications. On the other hand websites and web service uses the same ports to communicate (port 80) and authorities would hardly block those, since it would practically stop the internet from working.
A version for mobile devices is feasible , especially since web servers for mobile devices is available for communication over http ports.
Conclusion
Implementing this new technology by altering existing technologies, constructs a means to change the internet and its workings, as we know it. It also decrease costs in the marketplace, creating an environment for higher profits and healthy competition.
Tags: Distributed Information Sharing Google Microsoft P2P Gnutella File Sharing G2 Protocol
May 4, 2008 at 8:11 am |
This entry is similar to all your other entries – simplistic and so abstract that it is not even remotely possible evaluate the feasibility of anything. Give us something a bit more concrete!
For example, under “Approach” the look at the simple sentence “Keywords that usually would have been entered into a web search engine can now be supplied to a distributed application that runs on the user or business local computer”. Have you even given any thought to the implementation details of this? After some consideration it is a enormous change and has complex ramifications, especially when taking into account the vast volume of data we are discussing here. I think this is something that was conveniently left out of the “Identified Risks” section.
Furthermore, why push Linux and discriminate against MS? There are more than one way to reduce licensing and Linux is not the only cheap operating system.
Also this is really a poorly written blog entry. A few spelling mistakes and at least one punctuation mistake that I can see upon first read.
I sincerely hope the next post is better and I wish you good luck with that.
May 8, 2008 at 8:15 am |
Hi IceBerg,
The feasibility of this project is of course based the authors perception and the related program code created in support thereof. On the other hand the ability of a reader reading this article to evaluate the systems feasibility is directly proportional to the level of relevant knowledge that such a person holds.
The code for this system can be made available to those interested; alas your intention is debatable due to a made-up email address. See a ice-berg http://www.kheper.net/topics/psychology/freuds_model.jpg
and explanation http://www.kheper.net/topics/psychology/Freud.html
It is the author’s opinion that change can be managed, complexity simplified and that ‘vast volume of data’ is quite common.
As to the battle of the operating systems referred to in your comment, I would be enlightened to know what OS is cheaper than a free one.
In answer to the grammatical correctness of this and future postings, as with any program – there will always be bugs
. Take into account that the same word is spelled differently depending on location, region and perhaps browser settings.