Updating Adaptive, Decentralized Peer to Peer Networks


Peer to peer networks make it possible for individuals to share files without the need of servers. While such networks offer many benefits and are excellent at file sharing, they are currently useless for many other tasks, such as hosting a collection of hyperlinked documents. Adaptive, decentralized peer to peer networks like Freenet are capable of changing this, but such networks lack a means of updating files. This paper outlines a proposal for updating such a network. It discusses the security issues surrounding updating and deals effectively with them. Also, it looks at the possible consequences of updatable peer to peer networks and why and where it would be most beneficial.

Before you click to read this paper, I want you to be aware that, in my current opinion, it's terrible. In all honesty I wish it had never been published. But, it was, so I feel I have some responsibility to make it available, no matter how embarrassing. Further, my friends might compare this paper with my more recent publications as evidence of how much I've learned in the past few years. My enemies, though, could surely interpret it as evidence of how little I've learned in the past few years. Honestly, I just think you shouldn't read it, but this warning means that you will undoubtedly read it, so here it is.

Updating Adaptive, Decentralized Peer-to-Peer Networks.pdf

Many thanks to the folks at ADHOC/MacHack 19 who helped me track down this file. You can now also find it at the MacHack 16 archive page.

Posted: Sun - June 24, 2001 at 11:00 AM        

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