Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: What is P2P?

Author:isaac
Posted:9/20/2000; 1:05:00 AM
Topic:What is P2P?
Msg #:21530 (In response to 21528)
Prev/Next:21529 / 21531

Is your question:

What is p2p/peer-to-peer?

or

What makes a great p2p application?

whatis.com says:

"Peer-to-peer is a communications model in which each party has the same capabilities and either party can initiate a communication session. Other models with which it might be contrasted include the client/server model and the master/slave model."

1. A network app that doesn't run in a web browser.

Not for the definition of P2P. Perhaps for a great P2P application.

2. The user's machine is a client and a server.

Yes.

3. It's easy to use.

Not for the definition, but obviously required to make the great app.

4. It includes some kind of tool for creating your own content. Napster does this by publishing your list of music. This says something about you. This is part of the fascination with Napster. But this is very primitive. In Radio UserLand we give the user an outliner.

Not for the def. For the great app - I don't know. Depends what you're sharing. If you're sharing music or video, I'd leave the creation of that to more advanced applications. For text, your outliner (although I don't know exactly what an outliner is) could suffice.

I would think that a lot of Napster users are just there to get the music they want, and don't really care or think of the community. A great application and great developers behind it, and the right attitude, etc would go further and build a good community.

5. Networks with other users, creating a community.

Yes and yes.

6. Does something new with networks.

Not required for the definition, nor the great app. But if you come up with something new, there's nothing to say it couldn't be cool.

7. Supports cross-network protocols such as XML-RPC, SOAP.

Dunno - not my area. Probably no required by the technical definition of P2P.

8. Deeply integrated for ease of use, lots of connections between the components.

For the great app, yeh, probably.

9. Programmability is a big plus, providing a platform for P2P.

Extendability for advanced users would make an application better. But it needs to be easy to use for beginners.



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