Gnutella scanning instead of service providers.

[Gary Jeffers]

   My fellow Cypherpunks,

   It has been stated that Gnutella is completely decentralized. This is
not so. In order to get started with a Gnutella search, you need to use
a Gnutella search provider to find Gnutella groups.

   Would it be possible to write some kind of scanner that would look
at an ISP, say for example, htc.net and display all the Gnutella users
there? We seem to be over the "fax effect" (a Snelling point?)
magnitude where automated hunting for Gnutella users would be practical.
Also, maybe the scanner could search thru various ISP's as well as
particular ones. If it did close ISPs 1st, then it could help with the
efficency of file searches.

   Also, note that Gnutella deals in files - ANY kind of files. I
suppose that most? Cypherpunks know that - but just to be sure.

   If a scanner were written and widely deployed, then I think that
the problem of crushing Gnutella would be at least a magnitude harder.
Maybe the Gnutella support sites would promote and distribute such
a scanner?

Yours Truly,
Gary Jeffers

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