[nos-bbs] nos-bbs Digest, Vol 71, Issue 6

[Charles Hargrove]

Are we concentrating on SPOC (single point of contact) while forgetting
about SPOF (single point of failure)?  Not all BBS operations are 100%
connected.  If the time that a user wants to check their personal packet
mail over the air to a BBS coincides with an internet connection failure
for that same system would result in the inability to retrieve the message
for that user.  If someone is constantly in motion, then they should use
Winlink.  Most people are not in constant motion.  If I wanted to retrieve
a message on my home BBS while I was away from home, I would just use my
laptop or smartphone to telnet or IMAP a message from the home system.


> Some time in early 2009, I wrote something along the line of :
>
>> This goes along the same line of thought as GLOBAL mailboxes :
>
>>   What if I could connect to any NOS, FBB, MSYS, whatever system
>>   and simply direct a mail to a callsign (ie, VE4KLM), instead of
>>   to VE4KLM@#WPG.MB.CAN.NOAM ? Our callsigns are **UNIQUE**, so why
>>   bother with the #WPG.MB.CAN.NOAM or somewhere.someplace.com ?
>
>> Winlink has it that you simply send to the CALLSIGN. Again, I have
>> seriously been thinking about a global system where we just scrapt the
>> suffix, so that the mail is truly GLOBAL, not local to a particular
>> system. People have suggested a central IMAP server with IMAP proxies
>> distributed globally and then have *participating* NOS systems link
>> into that system. OR something along that line.
>
>> That stuff truly exites me.
>
> I have been looking into this again lately, and the big obstacle that
> stands out to me is that JNOS is using MBOX format for the mail. Just
> looking at the locking code is enough to give me a headache.
>
> Now, if it were a MAILDIR based system instead, I think it would be
> immensely easier and much less complicated to implement this idea of
> global mailboxes within the JNOS software.
>
> Any comments ?
>
> Please, I'd like to hear people's thoughts on this.
>
> Maiko Langelaar / VE4KLM


-- 
Charles J. Hargrove - N2NOV
NYC ARECS/RACES Citywide Radio Officer/Skywarn Coord.

NYC-ARECS/RACES Net Mon. @ 8:30PM 441.100/136.5 PL & 145.230/114.8 PL
http://www.nyc-arecs.org and http://www.nyc-races.org

NYDXA SWL & Scanner Net Wed. @ 9PM 441.100/136.5 PL & 145.230/114.8 PL
http://www.n2nov.net

"Information is the oxygen of the modern age. It seeps through
the walls topped by barbed wire, it wafts across the electrified
borders." - Ronald Reagan

"The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates." - Tacitus