lauren@vortex.UUCP (Lauren Weinstein) (03/06/87)
Hi. As the author of UULINK, I really don't think it likely that
it will create a horrendous "flood" of small sites that
will overwhelm the network.
True, the UULINK package does provide comprehensive uucp communications,
uucp and 822-compatible mail services, and the ability to generate
and receive netnews messages, among a variety of other functions.
Yes, when an MSDOS site runs this package it does become its own network node
and can join Usenet if it wants to.
But the package is being marketed quite carefully and it was designed
with the overall well-being of the network in mind. For example, since
the package supports local and global aliases and distribution lists,
local fanout of mail both locally and for pass-through to other
sites is supported to minimize traffic. Since the package can
handle both dialin and dialout calls, the latter through an included
cron-like mechanism, these small nodes are not dependent on
having other sites call them (unless that's what they want to do).
Also, support for addressing, handling, and routing of domain ("@") addresses
(as well as support for conventional uucp "!" addresses, of course) is
included so that small nodes can be configured for access with
domain addresses and can be placed cleanly into the Internet domain
structure as this form of addressing gains increasingly common usage in
the overall network.
UULINK is not marketed as a "mass consumer" item. It is not
available through computer stores nor general distribution dealers.
It is marketed only to a carefully defined market segment, generally
including the group of entities who have already been exposed to this
network and electronic mail environment and for whatever
technical and/or non-technical reasons desire a comprehensive package
providing uucp, mail, netnews, etc. services for systems running MSDOS.
We are not attempting, nor do we have any intention of attempting, to
get everyone with a home computer to join this network. However, there are
clearly organizations and persons for whom UULINK fills a real need,
and they are the ones that encompass the market we desire to serve.
--Lauren--