Subj : Re: Is binkp/d's security model kaputt?
To   : Tenser
From : Atreyu
Date : Tue Sep 07 2021 09:38 pm

On 08 Sep 21  05:52:51, Tenser said the following to Atreyu:

T> I suspect you are right, but I also suspect that the people who
T> are content with binkp don't care about the security model etc.
T> There's only so much lipstick one can put on a pig, after all.

Correct.

T> I don't see why people can't make incremental progress towards
T> a new protocol.  A mechanism based on e.g. HTTP (and one might
T> notice that the protocol I sketched is kinda like streaming
T> NNTP, FWIW) could be used backbones between hubs, with binkp
T> remaining for edge nodes; over time, as software-still-under-
T> development adopts the new protocols, and as binkp becomes
T> increasingly archaic, fewer and fewer systems will use the
T> latter.  Eventually, it'll be a handful that are using a
T> compatibility layer.

Very simple why we can't make progress towards a new protocol - The BinkD 
protocol just works. There simply is no incentive to change whatsoever.

I'm not sure where you get the concept of "backbones and hubs" from as that is
a relic of the dialup days where you had a few Napoleon-types dictating what
they would and would not carry. Whenever I see someone mention "backbones and 
hubs" that person clearly does not understand FTN distribution in 2021.

Today you can get a feed from anywhere. Anyone can start an Echo, an 
FTN, really anything. You don't need permission to do whatever. There is so
much meshing and peering taking place now that no one system can affect
the distribution of Echomail for others. Everyone is in fact that "edge
node", even me. The only time the hub-and-spoke model applies is for Netmail 
and nodelist management.

I like the idea of security improvements to BinkD but anything beyond that is
just lipstick on a pig as you say... and nobody wants to wear brown. People 
like what they have now. I tell anyone with ideas for better mail transport 
that you're better off starting your own FTN where everyone runs your code,
your software.

Atreyu

--- Renegade vY2Ka2
 * Origin: Joey, do you like movies about gladiators? (21:1/176)

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