Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Paul Fiondella who wrote (34709)	11/7/2000 9:05:38 AM
From: jwright	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 42771

The problem with Napster is that it's just a simple file transfer program. My system besides a publisher app, a locater app, has an additional file system driver to manage a virtual drive. All of your drives (i.e. hard, cd-rom, floppy, zip, network) are managed by a FSD driver for storage. This is exactly what I worked on at Novell is a network FSD to redirect network drives requests to a Novell server. This is what NETDRIVE does in redirecting file requests to the Internet for storage. So lets say I create an FSD to manage a virtual drive say N: Where the storage is located is not important (it could be local, removeable media, local network server, Internet server, ..etc) what is important is as an FSD I now manage ACCESS to that storage. Lets say my retrievable program not only retrieves the MP3 file I want to listen to but also retrieves a certificate from say a certificate server to associate with that file. Lets say my retrievable program only allows the MP3 file and certificate to be stored to the virtual drive. Lets say the certificate is used to encrypt the file for storage to the virtual drive. Lets say the certificate (I'm using the word loosely here) also has a timestamp or usage count associated with it such that sometime in the future a new certificate will have to be retrieved in order to continue accessing the MP3 file. Now the issue is once the MP3 file is stored to my virtual drive my job is to keep the file from being decrypt and copied to another drive managed by another FSD which I have no control over but at the same time I have to decrypt it when the user wants to play the MP3 file. At this point I was going to give more details but I don't want to give away the farm. Personal Directory or any other form of security will not solve this problem because the trust is still with the individual. To solve this problem you have to eliminate trust from the equation. Jimmy

To: Paul Fiondella who wrote (34709)	11/7/2000 9:31:56 AM
From: jwright	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42771

>> You will admit I hope that a personal directory can have good enough security to protect what I store there from "copying"? << I think the point Scott is making is you can protect yourself from someone else copying (I'm not sure Personal Directory is needed here for that) but how do you protect yourself from yourself. I see Personal directory being used in roaming type applications versus as a private security manager. I think what the Record Industry wants is something like a Personal Jukebox. You purchase the Jukebox from them. You keep going to them to fill your selections in the Jukebox but they hold the key to the lock on your Jukebox. They don't want you to have the key ever because they don't trust you to reach in with your grubby little hands and give away music for free. Seems kinda of unrealistic but hey whatever. Jimmy Jimmy

To: Paul Fiondella who wrote (34709)	11/12/2000 11:32:06 AM
From: Scott C. Lemon	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 42771

Hello Paul, I'm playing my usual catch-up ... it was a busy week last week. The Novell International Sales Meeting took place in San Francisco, and went well. Too many people to see, too many meetings for me ... ;-) > Well that is great Scott but what does it mean "any type > of information"? Exactly what type of information WOULD > BEST be stored in a personal directory? How about the > virtual property that A PERSON OWNS. Isn't it true Scott > that nowhere on the internet is there a place where a > person can own something? Isn't that the whole point about > having a personal directory in the first place? This really opens up some very good conversation on the subject. To answer your first question, the Personal Directory really could store any type of data, but then you as what might BEST be stored ... and this is where I have always been a believe in storing my digital identity ... all of my personal data and records ... along with my contact and membership data ... all of my copies of the information about others that I have relationships with, both human and organizational. One important note about your question ... you mention "virtual property that A PERSON OWNS" ... and this brings up a very important distinction in the Internet world. Everything is a copy. There is no such thing as an "original". I know that some people are going to want to argue this distinction, but I really spent some time on it this week. If you think about it, yes, you could claim that the first time I typed this post, it was an "original" ... but when I clicked "Submit" it really was a copy that was sent to Silicon Investor. And it's really a copy that you are reading right now. In the atomic world, we have a concept of an "original" because it is a specific set of atoms bound together forming some object ... but in the world of the electron, everything is a copy. (I'm thinking of having some t-shirts made with this saying ... ;-) > I think it is the most fundamental point. I agree ... and so "ownership" is really owning a copy of the electronic form ... not an original. > Perfect protection isn't needed, just good enough > protection alla Microsoft is all that this world appears > to need. And actually Scott the reason for having the > personal directory isn't to have perfect protection, it is > to have some place to put the ownership rights to what I > own i nthe way of virtual property. I think of Personal Directory as more of a digital repository for data and information that I want to have access to, and to share (in an automated way) with others. I think that the old saying about "possession being 9/10th of the law ..." comes in here somewhere ... ;-) > You will admit I hope that a personal directory can have > good enough security to protect what I store there from > "copying"? So this falls to the basic discussions about how copying occurs. Yes, Personal Directory could have enough security to prevent someone from gaining access ... but if I ever expose anyone to any piece of information it is then available for copying. I always use the example of your drivers license. If you show it to me for a second ... I can "copy" your address, date of birth, and other information. The only way to prevent "copying" of this information is to never show it to anyone. ;-) > No but it does begion to solve the issue of where I keep > the keys to what I own and it can also enable me to > "share" what I own. Yes ... I do agree that Personal Directory could easily become a repository for my credit card information, and even other passwords and (what I call) membership information. The one issue with sharing is that once "shared" it can be copied ... > Actually it comes down to a simple proposition. Do you > believe anything that can be sent across the net can be > owned? If not private property is in for a big big shock. Since everything on the Internet is a copy ... private property that can be placed in the 'net is only there as copies. Yes ... I think that we are seeing that private property is involved in a big shock right now ... ;-) > And that is precisely what I'm wondering whether anyone at > Novell has the brains to figure out --- a way to make a > personal directory make the purchasing of "content" (I > would call it virtual property) cheap and convenient > enough. I believe that Personal Directory can play a big part in this, and in managing the relationship between consumers and producers. That's what I'm researching and working on ... my issue is with the security and rights management ... it's not a simple problem to solve. Scott C. Lemon