[9fans] The small world approach of H18

[Jim Choate <ravage@einstein.ssz.com>]

What we envision is a agent has control of a auth server and some amount
of resources they use for their own use. Each node has only a handfull of
connections (we're looking at ln(#_conn) currently). Each node decides for
itself what it wants to do. Encrypting the various connections between a
node and the other nodes it connects to is critical. It needs to be the
default instead of clear-text, clear-text needs to be supported for those
who just must know what is going on. This approach is called 'small world
networks' (or you know it as the Kevin Bacon Game).

This means that the two gateway machines for two clusters would have a
single shared key. All traffic would be wrapped in that. The actual data
in the packets so wrapped would have keys based not only on apps (perhaps)
but also the users. This provides several layers of anonymity, and in
addition brings the DMCA in against those who try to crack the shell.

H18 has decided that it's A's problem to manage it's connections, and B's
problem to manage their connections. And there's no reason C needs to know
anything about any of the A-B dealings, even if C happens to be carrying
said traffic. We intend to fully support anonymity.

Each node is the king of its own little kingdom, the connection between
two kingdoms is a compromise between those two kingdoms and doesn't (and
shouldn't) be extended to any other node.


 -- --

God exists because mathematics is consistent, and the Devil exist because we
can't prove it.
                          Andre Weil, in H. Eves, Mathematical Circles Adieu

      ravage@ssz.com                            jchoate@open-forge.com
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