idealized content network properties (Re: [p2p-hackers] darknet)

[Michael Rogers]

Adam Back wrote:
> Sure I just mean if you make it invitation only, thats the same
> network but with something preventing other people subscribing.

Agreed - you could argue that WASTE is just Gnutella without host 
caches. ;-)

> I'd say that darknet term specifically implies some opaqueness to
> outside observers -- likely encryption no?  (but f2f would not
> necessarily, its just a invite only collaboration group network).

F2F means more than invitation-only. Invitation-only means you need to 
know some member of the network in order to join, but it doesn't say 
anything about who you can see once you've joined. F2F means you can 
only see the people you know.

A house party is invitation-only but not F2F; a drug distribution 
network is F2F.

The difference is important because an invitation-only non-F2F network 
loses privacy as it grows, whereas an F2F network doesn't.

Cheers,
Michael