[Go-essp-tech] BioTorrents

Thu Apr 22 02:02:38 MDT 2010

How about freely distributing encrypted files and making encryption keys
available to registered users? 

Cheers,

Martin 

From: go-essp-tech-bounces at ucar.edu
[mailto:go-essp-tech-bounces at ucar.edu] On Behalf Of Steve Hankin
Sent: 21 April 2010 22:22
To: asim at lbl.gov
Cc: GO-ESSP
Subject: Re: [Go-essp-tech] BioTorrents

2 philosophical cents (well, really a rant, I'll admit):

A remarkable number of the best, easiest, and most powerful ideas are
pushed off of our table by a perceived requirement that access to data
be restricted.  Elements of this are inevitable.  Still  I believe that
we should find much better ways as a data technology community
(including our own ESG project) to allow the superior technology options
that become available through open access to shine.  

At the org-chart level there is a broken system of checks-and-balances.
The requirements for restricted access are imposed down the line in the
org chart, without any mechanism for push-back -- for explaining to
those who impose the restrictions what unintended price is being paid by
doing so.  While the org chart relationships tie our hands, the Web as a
visible showcase for good ideas can provide the missing force of
balance.  We are seeing just this as we weigh BioTorrents against our
own solutions. 

I wonder if we shouldn't be promoting the (superior) technologies that
become available with open access in parallel with the (costly and
permanently slower to evolve) secure federated approaches.  Clearly
access-restricted datasets could not be hosted on the open systems.  But
that absence would be precisely the loss that makes the technology cost
of restricted access visible.   Building dual-access systems would be an
imperfect solution to an imperfect social equation.   But it would allow
us to contribute to long-term improvements in dysfunctional policies at
the same time that we explore (fun) new technologies.

    - Steve

=========================================

Alex Sim wrote: 

If we can resolve authorization aspects on the datasets with torrents,
we can probably support torrents technology in the future.  all data
access is open in this torrents and most others too.

-- Alex

On 4/20/10 8:40 AM, V. Balaji wrote:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0010071

	It's a great pity we aren't using torrent technology in our
field...

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-- 
Steve Hankin, NOAA/PMEL -- Steven.C.Hankin at noaa.gov
7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115-0070
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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men
to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke

-- 
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