RE: Senator Diane Feinstein Wants to know about the Benefits of P2P

[Ted Fischer <ted () fred net>]

Big Snip ...


> At 07:03 PM 8/30/2004, Sean Donlan postualted:
> Is the problem P2P?  Or is the problem copyright infringement?

   Thank you, Sean.

   What does Peer-to-Peer mean, anyway.  Unfortunately, lots of things.

   One could argue (I've seen a few replies re this subject hinting around 
this definition) that the entire Internet works because of the Peer-to-Peer 
concept.  After all, if I am on a 100MBs Ethernet and want to communicate 
directly with another NIC on MY ethernet, then we must be Peer at Layer 1.

   Is the Peer-to-Peer ethernet network a danger?

   I would tell her that the benefits of Peer-to-Peer is that this concept 
allows us to communicate on networks using computers ... Including allowing 
Senator Feinstein to receive E-Mail replies to her question (after all, 
isn't SMTP (or X.400 for that matter) Peer-to-Peer at Layer 7?).

   Until Senator Feinstein asks a meaningful question, the result will be 
GIGO.



                                Ted Fischer