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“Internet” Without Infrastructure – Part 4, by R.H.
Protocol Refinements
There are many refinements that can be used to improve efficiency and reduce the number of files to be processed, when dealing with local communication. However, these must always remain discretionary, so that they can be dropped at any time if situations change, or they are found to be unworkable.
For example, directories (or folders) can be used to separate messages into different destination areas, organized by State. This reduces anonymity somewhat, but it can help organize messages and keep traffic down within local areas. If you know for certain that the recipient is in California, create a folder called California and put the message in there. If you know the zip code, it can be added within the California folder. Even when there are state and zip code folders, messages will still exist in the main folder, outside of any state folders, and messages will exist within the state folders, outside of any particular zip code folder. Another level can exist within the zip code folder for a well-defined and understood community. Less precise regions, such as counties and cities, could possibly be used, but these are open to ambiguities and are less likely to be known for certain.
When working within a local network, a Postmaster could use both a local pouch and a master pouch. The local pouch would contain all messages from the main directory, state directory, zip code directory, and community directory, but all other directories would be missing. This makes the pouch easier to work with. To send a message within the local community, it is put into the community folder. To send a message outside of the local community but within the state, the message goes in the state folder. New state and zip code folders are added to the local pouch as needed for outgoing messages.
Later, the Postmaster combines the local pouch into the national pouch. The community folder, however, is not transferred to the national pouch; it is retained on the local pouch. The local pouch is temporary and must be recreated whenever updates are received for the national pouch. This is done by saving the community folder, creating a new local pouch from the main, state, and zip code folders from the master pouch, and then adding the community folder back in.
With care, similar protocols could be used and developed at the zip code and state levels, but this also opens the system up to misuse of various sorts. It would be a very bad idea for people to start getting the idea that a state or even a zip code is “under the control of” one particular entity. It would be much better to have several different people independently managing the same regions simultaneously. This network is about freedom and anonymity, not “guarantees” (which somehow never seem to work out very well anyway).
Another use for region descriptions, similar to what is described above, would be for Postmasters, or really anyone for that matter, to include nationwide, state, or regional news and network status in a message that is not to anyone in particular.
Source: http://survivalblog.com/internet-without-infrastructure-part-4-by-r-h/
