http://vowe.net/archives/004803.html Volker posts a headline "I doubt that this is what Groove Networks want". Which is wierd since the text behind the headline is the opposite. The text shows that

a) Groove is trying where it can, and given the resources at its disposal has created a remarkable product . At least Volker is happy to remark on it :-)

b) Groove lost two early adopters through the ignorance of the adopters. No names and Volker obviously thinks their decision is badly founded.

c) Notes/Domino, for all its maturity, has had exactly the same philosophy of Groove in not supporting Mac, and probably would still have, except for one thing. These days Mac=Unix. And so because Notes/Domino started down the path of serious support of Unix at the same time as Groove was first breathed on the streets so fortuitously for Vowe, Notes/Domino suddenly becomes accesible to Mac.

VirtualPC is not for everyone. PopG's hosted solution is not for everyone. Both have benefits and limitations because they are not a PC running Groove. But one thing they both succeed in is actually running Groove on a Mac - today.

You know Vowe, I ask myself why do I bother commenting on your blog. Probably because I resepect much of what you have to say. I do get a wierd feeling though, that if your actually tried our solution that you are frightened that the hosted solution might actually be a good solution.

posted by Andy Swarbrick/PopG at 3:34

http://www.oysterband.co.uk/ Headlining tonight was this great folk-rock band. One of their quips tonight was that at Sidmouth Folk Festival someone said that they seemed limited to six chords. Suffice it to say this group has been around for 25 years, they know their stuff. And yes they do not six chords - and a tad more. One of the best musical evenings I have ever had. But then the magic of Cropredy is always something special. A real family atmosphere, everyone out to enjoy themselves. In fact we were surprised to see a police presence - it was certainly a waste of their time. A gorgeous evening. Tomorrow I look forward to Jethro Tull. What a line up.

posted by Andy Swarbrick/PopG at 17:49

http://www.fairportconvention.co.uk/ For several years I co-ran a folk song club later I co-edited a folk magazine "buzz". Then kids hit were born and our folk song activities were curtailed. Relocating to Oxfordshire 10-11 years ago enabled us to spend a friendly summers weekend with this lot - and around 10,000 other like minded fariporters. My family left earlier - & I took a call on my cell phone - they were stuck in solid traffic jams. That's probably where I will be quite soon now.

posted by Andy Swarbrick/PopG at 10:23

When is fanout, not....

A feature of Groove is its ability to fanout data. As an affecionado I thought I understood the fanout concept, but it turns out I had it upside down. To me, fanout should naturally refer to Groove's ability to send the same data to all peers with whom it needs to communicate. Nothing more, and nothing less. Whereas in Jon Udell's interview of Ray Ozzie nearly four years ago (http://www.openp2p.com/pub/a/p2p/2000/10/24/ozzie_interview.html) more properly defines fanout as the indirect distribution of that same data via a certralised server - a relay server.

This difference was drawn to my attention recently as a result of our Strong Angel II participation. Scott Silvasy provides the insight, "Groove's communications service senses network connectivity and has a general idea of the connection speed. The service also works with the Relay Server to determine if fanout should/could be used as a more efficient transport method. Groove's dynamics service determines the change in tool deltas (i.e., additions, modification, or deletions of Groove tool data) and packages it as either a simple command (e.g., in SketchPad and Co-Edit of Word documents) or as a binary difference (e.g., modification to a file in the Files Tool) -- the security service encrypts and signs these delta's. Since we know the number of end-points to receive the delta, the connection speed, and the approximate connection speed, Groove uses an algorithm to determine if it is more efficient to send the delta to the Relay Server and have the Relay Server propagate the change (i.e., fanout), or to function "normally" where the client sends the delta's to all end-points."

So we can deduce from this that Groove can automatically detect & monitor connection speed and make decisions about fanout, dependent upon that information. Obviously such decisions depend on the quality of the algorithms, and needless to say these are under constant review. However there are limits to this optimisation: "You cannot squeeze a quart out of a pint pot," as the saying goes. Or can you?

If Groove Networks can move their relay code away from the current server product and embed more of it into the client application, then one can begin to attain an ideal position where the client can act as relay. The client can do the fanout at a much more granular level. The result is a self-balancing, self-tuning system that make the most of bandwidth as and when it occurs.

As an ideal I think it will remain a significant challenge for some time. Until then there is always PopG... With PopG the user can elect to make optimisation decisions on behalf of Groove: one can manipulate the fanout architecture by placing your Groove client into the bandwidth category of your choice. As with relay architecture this is a pragmatic decision that will suit people manipulating large datasets, possibly with large numbers of space members or where those members have their accounts & spaces replicated across several computers.

posted by Andy Swarbrick/PopG at 4:37

Hello & I'm back. I had intended to blog my way through my holidays. After all I was visiting the Y.M.C.A. in Swansea and paying my £2 per hour in their Internet Cafe facility to keep-a-groovin, so why not keep-a-bloggin. Well after all it was a holiday and as much as I would like to do everything relaxation took the next priority over critical issues. And I am sorry this blog just went on down & down the priority queues...

So it does raise the question, where does blogging sit in one's priorities in life? Is it a "job" that one does. Is it an obligation that is to be fulfilled at all costs? For most there are a range of reasons around communication. For me, and I guess most bloggers it is partly a self-communication. By that I mean a recording of my thoughts for my own self-gratification, for my self-satisfaction.

I enjoy reading my own blog. I am proud when I say something that means something - to me. yes, I am also proud when I say something that resonates with others outside my own brain. But think of it this way - why do you give someone a present? I suggest the primary answer is because you enjoy it: not because the other person enjoys receiving a present. That is a secondary benefit.

Also I know that if I wrote such thoughts in my personal diary - it would never happen. I am too lazy to write privately. I write soley for others.

So I write only for myself, and yet I write only for others. Is this yet another of life's little paradoxes?