Quote:
Originally posted by Sajma
A single database has the same problem as a single website: it's a central point of failure. Suppose we instead store copies of the ratings database on Gnutella: this helps it resist attack, but now it's unclear how to propagate updates to the database.
Perhaps what we want is a way to push the little individual ratings files around the network, and each client can grab and save the ones it cares about. So, instead of a centralized ratings database, everyone has their own local database that contains only those ratings it wants (e.g. those signed by people you trust or ratings for a particular file). |
What I was thinking was, have a simple addition to the client that involves the use of trading local databases via trading them with people you know. i.e. keep a large database of files that are rated high/low, and allow the database to be sent to friends via email attachments, or what have you.
Then, "merge trusted database" function that would add to your own, creating a larger one.
The only problem with that, that I can see, is that over time the database could grow quite large, and would slow down searching, or whatever else because of its size (slowness to search the local database?).
But, how could the little signature files be propogated without flooding the network with junk?