Notes on Open Information Sharing Systems

In performing a Domain Analysis for the domain of Information Sharing Systems, there are some questions pertaining to how a OISS is different from a Web Site or Enterprise Portal. These notes seeks to provide some insight on such questions.
 

Consider the following observations regarding Web sites or Enterprise Portals:

1. In general, they are not open source, though they may have been built using open source technology. In closed Web sites/portals (e.g., Catalyst.gsm.uci.edu), no one can potentially download a copy of the system components, install them on a local/networked computer, then modify their functionality if needed. For an ISS to be fully open, then its source code and other development products (e.g., Requirements, Specifications, and Architectural Design) must also be available for access and update. Note however that openness does not necessarily imply free or globally unrestricted access, nor the ability to update the repository where the shared files are stored. With open source systems (e.g., the Gnu/Linux Operating System, the Apache Web server), anyone can have access and download source code or artifacts, but only those who are "trusted" are allowed to update/modify the shared sources/products that are hosted on a centralized (Web) server.

2. Most Web sites/portals provide a view of a SINGLE file/object (a Web "page") at a time, rather than a Directory or Repository of files or streaming media content. This is true of Catalyst.gsm.uci.edu. On Web sites/portals that provide a view of multiple files (i.e., individual Web links to different files) current Web browsers (clients) only allow the user to select and download one file/object/Web-page at a time.

3. Most Web pages/sites/portals only allow a user to select ONE file/link at a time to visit next, rather than allowing the selection of MANY files for download/sharing on demand by a user.

• 3a. With peer-to-peer applications like FTP (file transfer protocol), Napster, and AIMster, a user (client/peer) connects to a remote computer system (also acting as a client/peer), browses a file directory, selects ONE OR MORE files/directories (including all sub-directories and files therein), downloads the selected files, then terminates the connection. Servers are programs that patiently wait for requests from clients, then "serve" a response; clients are programs that operate on demand--they make requests on demand and will wait until a response arrives.
• 3b. Web sites (i.e., sites/portals on the "World-Wide Web") are setup as powerful (fat) servers that communicate to simple (thin) clients/browsers. In peer-to-peer file-sharing systems (e.g., Gnutella, FreeNet, Groove), there are no centralized powerful servers. Instead there are only peers (clients only, no servers). In Napster-like file-sharing systems, there is a centralized file directory server, that maintains a dynamically updated directory of clients/peers that possess currently listed files for sharing. By selecting files from the central directory, Napster clients (peers) then contact one another to access and download the files selected.
• 3c. Peer-to-peer systems are "connection-oriented" much like the telephone system (In order for me to have a telephone conversation with you, I must call you, and you must answer, and then we can talk). Web sites/portals are "connectionless" in that they transport a representation or view of a designated file/page asynchronously in bits and pieces until all the pieces are collected. Once collected, the browser provides a complete display view. Connectionless transport of information allows you to interrupt your Web browser while its in the middle of collecting the pieces of information to display as a Web page, and then display what it has received so far (since no more information will be transported, until the user's next selection/mouse-click).

5. There are at least SIX types of Web/Enterprise Portals:

1. Consumer -- e.g., Yahoo -- a little of something for everyone
2. Corporate -- e.g., Catalyst.gsm.uci.edu -- information only for people affiliated with the UCI GSM "corporation"
3. Customer -- e.g., B-to-C Web sites (Amazon.com) -- Web-based electronic catalog sales; call centers or help desks -- online repositories for product related information, particularly for complex or multi-component products
4. Commerce -- e.g., B-to-B Web Sites -- businesses that offer products/services over the Web to other businesses
1. Auction sites -- B-to-B or C-to-C (e.g., Ebay).
5. Vortal/Exchange Market -- e.g., CommerceOne.Net -- businesses that bring together other businesses within a specific industry in order to make deals/trades at market-negotiated supply/demand prices.
6. Community -- e.g., Ultima Online, Napster.com, ThePalace -- businesses or social groups that seek to create shared content/experience, control access to it, yet invite would-be visitors to become participants and contributors either for free or for a fee.

1. Peer-to-peer file-sharing systems-- Gnutella, FreeNet
2. Peer-to-peer instant messaging (including voice, audio/music, video) systems -- ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Jabber
3. Peer-to-peer message streaming systems (e.g., I create video content for you on demand--often employed in adult entertainment applications)
4. Peer-to-peer computer resource sharing (generally sharing "unused" compute cycles from sleeping computers) -- MojoNation
5. Composite peer-to-peer systems (systems that integrate two or more of the preceding peer-to-peer system components) -- AIMster, Groove
6. Network news systems -- threaded news groups that allow the collection and "threading" of email messages posted on a news server, together with the attachment of arbitrary files. NNS generally host their content for a fixed duration, then "old" or "out of date" content is removed. Additionally, NNS message repositories are widely replicated, so that copies of attached files sent from "anonymous" users can persist and be made widely available, yet cannot be removed from a global "daily news distribution". Before Napster became popular, NNS was the (and to many still is) preferred way to distribute sensitive or "unauthorized" copies of files/content, since copies become globally distributed.
7. Threaded Email systems (aka, Bulletin Boards servers) -- threaded conversation servers that asynchrously collect and post email messages along topic threads that are created by people who send/reply to Email messages. the GSM Discussion Forum is such a system.