[JDEV] File Transfer Proposals

[Julian Missig]

On Sun, 2002-02-17 at 00:45, Iain Shigeoka wrote:
> On 2/16/02 2:39 PM, "Julian Missig" <julian at jabber.org> wrote:
> 
> > I want to get OOB and PASS working with decent JEPs before we even begin
> > arguing webdav & friends, because that has a lot of the filesharing and
> > caching issues...
> > 
> > As for using your own protocol, I'm not a fan of that at all. There is
> > really no reason to recreate HTTP/FTP and other such file-sending
> > protocols. The entire point of sending files out-of-bound is that there
> > are existing protocols which already do it and do it better, because
> > they have experience.
> 
> [snip]
> 
> > So, again I ask for comments which tell me *what is wrong with HTTP/FTP
> > OOB and PASS*, not comments which tell me how you want to do it.
> 
> I think the problem is one we've been hitting a lot in standards and
> security discussion lately: defining target markets (i.e., what the hell are
> you talking about?)
> 
> I believe a lot of the controversy is really coming from the fact that "file
> transfer" has almost no meaning.  One person may be seeing this as passing
> 2k graphics files for in-chat emoticons.  Another as 2MB confidential
> spreadsheets between coworkers.  Another as 56kb streaming media.  Another
> as legal 2gb divx movies (webdav?), and yet another as pirated 2gb divx
> movies (gnutella?)  Now you can be really ambitious and try and come up with
> a single solution that meets these (and the many other) possible markets for
> file transfer protocols.  Or you can narrow your scope.  Either way though,
> the real critical piece is defining what we're trying to do here.  It is
> impossible to define any sort of right or wrong criteria if we don't even
> know what the problem is.
> 
> I think it is good to create a FT protocol.  I think it is going to be hard
> to do so to many/most/anyone's satisfaction if you don't first say what
> you're trying to do.
> 

Anyway, you make a good point. My problem is that I see a lot of people
who don't really need different protocols, seem to have the exact same
problems and needs, and keep redesigning the same protocol repeatedly.
That is why I am asking what is wrong with the existing protocols, to
figure out what all these people need that the existing protocols don't
provide, and get together with the people who have common needs to
create a common protocol.

Julian
-- 
email: julian at jabber.org
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