Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site sdcsvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!vax135!cornell!uw-beaver!tektronix!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!jww From: jww@sdcsvax.UUCP (Joel West) Newsgroups: net.mail Subject: Re: Mail routing -- problems showing up Message-ID: <1054@sdcsvax.UUCP> Date: Thu, 22-Aug-85 15:51:21 EDT Article-I.D.: sdcsvax.1054 Posted: Thu Aug 22 15:51:21 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 25-Aug-85 13:55:33 EDT References: <3018@nsc.UUCP> <2875@topaz.ARPA> <4787@mit-eddie.UUCP> <16110@watmath.UUCP> <4941@mit-eddie.UUCP> <223@encore.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: CACI, Inc - Federal, La Jolla Lines: 35 > It seems to me that while geography makes a poor basis on which to base > routing decisions, we have a better one. Most of the net is made up of > organizations which have one or more systems If "most of the net" means AT&T, this might be true. Otherwise, I am inclined to disagree. Even if it is true, I think it will change with the name space explosion of PC's on the network. And even if it doesn't change, those of us with single systems are real people, too. Besides, only a few organizations (AT&T and DEC come to mind) will have their own national transport mechanism to use instead of the UUCP dial-up network. The rest of us -- no matter how many systems we might have in 2 or 3 cities -- will still have to rely on our brethren to assure connectivity in the 48 contiguous states. (USA.AK was empty last time I checked, and I can't afford a call to Hawaii). So again, connectivity will depend on geography. I would note, however, that the only form of geography that's important is to deliver the message to the right metropolitan area. A bias towards state (except for Rhode Island :-) ) or regional delivery doesn't help, because a call to San Francisco is about the same as a call to New York, more or less. Certainly San Diego-LA-San Jose-Berkeley is more expensive than San Diego-Columbus-Berkeley, for example, and less reliable to boot. The existing system of national hubs works well, if you can get to one. The only reason I'm hung up on geography and promoting the use of metropolitan hubs is that I fear having the phone costs from a network explosion kill the network. And THEN I'd have to use MCI Mail, god forbid. :-) Joel West CACI, Inc. - Federal (c/o UC San Diego) {ucbvax,decvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww jww@SDCSVAX.ARPA