[JDEV] File Transfer Proposals

[tom_waters at mac.com]

what is bloated about HTTP?  it's a pretty simple protocol...

i wrote the server side of http in my jabber client for p2p transfers in 
a little over 500 lines of objective-c.  the client side is even easier, 
i use libCurl.

On Monday, February 18, 2002, at 07:09 AM, aliban at gmx.net wrote:

> Hey, exactly my point of view.
>
> Edrin :)
>
>> The main problems I see are that HTTP/FTP are far too bloated 
>> protocols, all
>> is really needed just like msn, icq, and aim is just a basic protocol 
>> for
>> sending the file p2p, thats what IM file transfers are, you dont need 
>> all
>> this storing of files for offline users and uploading to HTTP servers, 
>> if
>> someone wants to send a file to someone who is offline they will email 
>> it to
>> them, if someone wants to put the file up and lets lots of people 
>> access it
>> they will upload it to their website, there is no need to make this a
>> hundred times more complicated than it needs to be, all IM file 
>> transfer
>> needs to be is a quick way to send files p2p, and the best way I see of
>> doing that is just opening up a socket, get the other person to 
>> connect and
>> then just stream the data to them, maybe with a few control messages 
>> sent
>> over the xml stream, and if they are behind NAT's and could not 
>> connect then
>> just make it automatically retry using PASS instead of a direct 
>> connection,
>> lets just keep this simple guys. This way it keeps things simple you 
>> dont
>> have to have the bloat and insecurity of having a HTTP/FTP 
>> server/client
>> software built into the client, it also helps keep things more legally
>> safe/secure as the files are not being saved anywhere other than on the
>> machines of the two people sending/receiving the file, and also saves 
>> on
>> having to setup all sorts of webdav storage servers and all the 
>> unnesessary
>> complexity and cost thats involves.
>>
>> Well just my 2p.
>>
>> Rich