[mythtv-users] possible p2p approach for mythtv information?

[Brad Templeton]

On Sat, Jul 08, 2006 at 05:18:38PM +1000, Aaron Harwood wrote:
> >The problem is trust.  In this case, there are reasons for people to
> >try to screw up the system.   TV networks don't want you skipping
> >ads, they would be well motivated to insert peers that pass you
> >"distilled" information from thousands of other users that's bogus.
> >Or positive reviews of their tv shows telling you to watch them.
> 
> They could do this to a centralized system as well I suppose, e.g. using
> a (privately funded) zombie army to distort the information.

A central system can, more easily, use data only from trusted parties who
have given consistently good data in the past.   It can do this via a very
simple shared secret authentication.   New contributors don't get to affect
the data until they have gone a few rounds.

Most importantly though, you can trust the aggregator itself.   Two levels
of trust -- you trust your aggregating central server, it figures a way to
decide which user inputs to trust.    A P2P system probably requires PKI and
a web of trust.

> Maybe the "copying 10% is okay" rule applies.

There is no such rule.