Re: [GNUnet-developers] gnunet-chat

[Christian Grothoff]

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On Wednesday 18 September 2002 06:41 am, Igor Wronsky wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Sep 2002, Christian Grothoff wrote:
> > Also, it sends n^2 messages (worst case) per message - to all peers,
> > regardless if people are subscribed or not. So this is really JUST and
> > only a demo-application. It's not *meant* to be for production use, ever.
> > It's meant to be educational code.
>
> Note that people might not heed such considerations. ;) Typically
> anything will be used for a purpose if there is no better alternative,
> no matter how bad or harmful the current one is.
>
> I suggest, in capital letters, a note on top of gnunet-chat man page
> "do not use this software - for study purposes only", and perhaps
> on startup as well. :) Even a safer solution would be not to
> install the whole thing at all unless the user is smart enough
> to request it explicitly and understand all the implications.

Well, I don't know how to change the build process to selectively build it 
(--with-chat), but either way, go a head and put any message that you see fit 
:-)

> But if a chat could be implemented in a little less bandwidth-
> consuming way and more securely, it would of course be quite
> useful. From what I understand, is the node operator now
> able, by gnunet.conf, to specify what kind of traffic the
> node is participating in? e.g. chat messages will not be
> forwarded/received if "chat" is not on? (same goes for future
> apps like 'video conferencing')

Chat messages will be received since capabilities are not advertised; yet, the 
node will certainly not forward any chat traffic. If the chat code would be 
improved to only send messages to other participants, the node may not 
receive any traffic at all. The problem is, that on the internet, you can 
never make sure that somebody else is not sending you data, all we can do is 
drop it on the floor.

> > Every chat message that gnunetd receives is broadcasted to all connected
> > peers. The peers check if they have seen the message already, and if yes
> > drop it. If not, they send it to all connected gnunet-chat clients and
> > again broadcast it to all of their connected neighbours.
>
> I wonder whether gnunet-chat will make the nodes millionaires
> or beggars overnight ... ;) Hmm. Perhaps not. The one who talks
> is paying, I imagine, and talks not more than he can pay for,
> unless there is free bandwidth. Ok.

Neither nor. chat is currently not modeled economically, thus sending chat 
messages has no impact on your economic standing.

Christian
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