Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83 (MC830713); site mcvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!mcvax!piet
From: piet@mcvax.UUCP (Piet Beertema)
Newsgroups: net.news
Subject: Re: Signatures to names and automatic path finding
Message-ID: <5342@mcvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 4-Aug-83 14:16:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: mcvax.5342
Posted: Thu Aug  4 14:16:39 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 5-Aug-83 00:06:16 EDT
References: <1872@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Organization: Math.Centre, Amsterdam
Lines: 24


	..... What SHOULD happen is that some path finding program should be
	distributed as part of uucp, news, or whatever, and the various people
	around the net who maintain databases of connections on their own
	machines should co-ordinate efforts. I'm sure net.sources could tolerate
	a (say) semi-monthly posting of the "official" connections list,
	in a format usable by whatever pathfinder people want ....

Such an "official connections list" is in fact already being distributed
monthly by Karen & Mark Horton, viz. in the form of a Usenet map.
It's quite easy to retrieve a pahtnames database from that. The only
major problem with it is that MANY US sites still don't seem to have
Europe map, you can what it should look like. So may we urge every site
to supply this information (to ..!cbosgd!uucpmap), so everyone can build
an up-to-date and reliable database.
Another thing about avoiding long pathnames: using the database it would
be a good idea to put a router AFTER mail & news; I've seen a reply
article crossing the Atlantic twice, passing through 15 sites, where
6 would have done.
-- 
--
	Piet Beertema
	Mathematical Centre, Amsterdam
	...{decvax,philabs}!mcvax!piet