From: "(Edward Lee epl)" (Edward Lee epl) Date: 2002-10-01T05:58:12+09:00 Subject: Re: idea for a much needed application rsrchstr@hotmail.com (mike henley) wrote in message news:<576c1752.0209291410.3666fd31@posting.google.com>... > I remember a while ago reading about tim burners-lee and how his > vision of the WorldWideWeb as a medium where all can freely and easily > publish information has not materialized properly, and i felt it so > strongly over the past week when trying to look at options for hosting > a website. Hosts are either expensive or limit you in terms of what It is expensive to maintain a 24/7 server, ISPs have to figure out how to charge by your usage. > languages, modules, applications, and OSs you can use. They also limit > you in terms of space, bandwidth used per period, number of executions > of CGIs... etc. Some of those who give good deals, seem difficult to > trust with either your credit card number or your content. True for all business in general. > > I wish i can just use my own computer, with whatever technologies I > choose, keeping my content that i build up over time safe here on my So, we have to use whatever technologies you come up with. I hate IM, ICQ or whatever, they are as intrusive as the telephone. > own machine, but unless you have a broadband connection this is not > possible. It may be possible using a dynamic DNS provider, but then > again either they add cost, end up with an ugly URL, and, most > importantly, there's no way for others to know when you get online. So That's why is necessary and expensive for 24/7 servers. > here comes the idea that occured to me, and i post it here to ask if > you know of an application that already provides this functionality, > then please tell me what it is, or if you think it is worth doing on > an open source basis, or even proprietary, in which case i invite > anyone to do so, or if you think it's a completely stupid and > impossible idea, then perhaps you can please tell me why. Yes and Yes. > > You probably guessed if you read as far as the second paragraph that > what i'm thinking about is an application functionality that enables > instant messaging to provide the dynamic DNS functionality. So instead So you want IM to monopolize the server market? > of giving others a URL I can just give them an IM username they can > add to their client, and when i go online, through my humble dial-up > connection that changes IP whenever i log in, they'll be aware of my > presence, and be able to connect to a server i host on my machine. > > It sounds like a simple thing; IM presence, automatic IP query of my As stupid as dynamic dns, which is causing lots of unnecessary dns traffic on the net. > username, click on my username and or use a contextual menu option or > whatever and a browser launches to go to the site i'm hosting on my > machine. Perhaps it can use existing open-source platforms, such as > jabber or gnutella, or as an add-on to existing open-source > applications/clients. Basically what i'm suggesting is a little tool > to enable a server such as apache to join the whole IM/p2p thing and You can just leave me out of your IM/p2p thing. > have "presence". The more automated it is, and the easier it is, the > better. I think such a functionality will be especially useful for > certain uses, in my case it will be hosting a wiki, as i leave my > machine online a lot through my dial-up, can't predict the number of > executions of CGI or the amount of space needed, wish to be free to > use whatever wiki application is best for my needs and in whatever > language regardless of what a host will support, and do not wish to > pay a monthly fee, extra charges, setup fee or a domain registration. If they have their way, you will be paying your IM provider a great deal of money. > Perhaps there can be other areas where it is useful, and i'm sure > there are other areas where it will not be suitable. Perhaps there can > also be a simple way to enable a page hosted in such a way to be > submitted to search engines, i haven't thought about that yet, but > tell me if u see any. > > What do you think? already done, worth doing, stupid, or impossible? > (p.s. please also let me know if there are other newsgroup to which > posting this will be a good idea) Maybe, No, Yes, Not really.