Internet Research Task Force,
Anti-Spam Research Group,
Thank you for the information Chris and Rich. A summary of that idea could then
be a distributed version of Tripwire, adding P2P, e.g. distributed hash tables,
or other distributed and decentralized algorithms, to software approaches like
Tripwire. P2P networks can facilitate such software having access to data from
numerous other computers.
With such P2P techniques, Windows systems could be easier to secure than some
Linux systems. In the data about various Linux systems and servers, however, we
might see identically configured systems, systems running the freshest versions
of various Linux distributions and the freshest versions of each of a set of
applications.
On the topic of countering botnets to reduce spam, and on the topic of the
approach of seeking to keep well-informed any interested computer scientists
about developments, and on the topic of distributed and decentralized
applications, we can consider decentralized and distributed systems, with
all-to-all messaging capability, where any users can upload a message and any
users can download a message. In many system designs with user-generated
content, countering spam is topical, including systems for disseminating
instantaneous information to computer scientists about securing computers and
computer networks, countering botnets to reduce spam.
Blogs could be an implementation of all-to-all messaging where folksonomic tags
could be utilized, from a vocabulary, to describe specific computer system
configurations and situations.
Usenet, or NNTP, could be utilized by computer scientists and would be more
convenient with a means of prefixing message subject strings to indicate
computer configurations.
Email and mailing lists could be utilized in an implementation, as well, with
the same topic about subject string prefixes to indicate the computer
configurations discussed in the message.
In each of those examples is the problem of spam.
As an aside, we could version NNTP, as well as email-related protocols, to
include metadata-related enhancements, for purposes including searchability,
potentially metadata models beyond those of blog articles.
In addition to blogs, Usenet and mailing lists, there exist P2P system designs
for all-to-all messaging; for example, based upon file-sharing networks. In
such systems, any computer scientist could upload a computer security related
message, with metadata indicating topical specific computer configurations, and
any computer scientist, seeking to receive messages about a set of specific
computer configurations, could download such messages from uploaders as they
arrive. Metadata-based search of objects on distributed systems, P2P systems,
could then be topical.
Metadata, again, beyond that of blog articles, can enhance blogs, Usenet, email
and P2P systems. Systems can be designed to facilitate the well-informedness of
computer scientists by computer scientists towards securing computer systems
including to prevent botnets which can eliminate or reduce spam. That is, an
information distribution network for computer security messages can enhance
computer and computer network security.
In each described system with user-generated content, countering spam enhances
usability, utility, and user experience. As a proponent of public forums,
preventing spam on Usenet is an interesting topic which pertains to promoting
free speech and civil discourse. Do any of you know of any detailed reports or
analyses about Usenet spam data, archived Usenet data, or statistics, possibly
correlations at the granularity of specific forums, thread topics, or
discussion events?
Kind regards,
Adam Sobieski
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