jef@helios.ee.lbl.gov (Jef Poskanzer) (11/13/88)
This seems like a great idea, but unless I'm missing something you are making all interested parties maintain their own copies of the database. This seems silly. Why not just maintain it yourself and post the current version every month with a one-month expiration date? I know there's no way I'm going to bother doing anything with all those DB ADD etc. postings. If I can't get the information instantly with one simple command (either a grep or some db extraction command provided through comp.archives), then forget it. --- Jef Jef Poskanzer jef@rtsg.ee.lbl.gov ...well!pokey
comparc@twwells.uucp (comp.archives) (11/15/88)
In article <8811130058.AA06806@helios.ee.lbl.gov> jef@helios.ee.lbl.gov (Jef Poskanzer) writes:
: This seems like a great idea, but unless I'm missing something you are
: making all interested parties maintain their own copies of the database.
: This seems silly. Why not just maintain it yourself and post the current
: version every month with a one-month expiration date?
As for the last question: the answer is volume. The amount of data in
the database could get really humongous. I really don't want the net
to be flooded with data.
So, what I am doing is posting data that can be used to maintain a
database; eventually, there will be a program that can maintain the
database automatically from the postings. Once the program exists,
anyone who wants to can create a database from the postings.
As an example of how this might be done, one could add to the news
"sys" file something like:
comparc:comp.archives::comparcupd /usr/home/comparc/db
[That's the line that goes in mine, as soon as the program gets
written.]
Eventually, I will be setting up a mail based server to access my
copy of the database. I will post the programs that access it, so
that anyone who wants to can set up themselves as a server.
One of the things that I will post periodically is a list of archive
sites that make the comp.archives database available.
Does that clarify things?
: I know there's no
: way I'm going to bother doing anything with all those DB ADD etc. postings.
: If I can't get the information instantly with one simple command (either
: a grep or some db extraction command provided through comp.archives),
: then forget it.
We're working on it. It'll be out Real Soon Now.
---
Bill
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