Rohit Khare: I want to discuss email to an enclave. Today we have names that aren't part of a centralized namespace. Should other applications use your model, like News, etc.?

Cliff Neuman:  Prospero used messaging as a test bed. We have a message id to ensure the messages are the same; messages can get delivered to people who are not connected. When email is delivered, may not know who the other recipient is, or where it is placed. It may not identify which mailboxes it goes into. The situation with regard to mail vs news is different -- with news, you have a shared mailbox, and with mail you don't have a shared mailbox.  The shared mailbox is easier to deal with, but the system should be able to execute properly for both of these situations.

Bill Washburn:  In the disconnected case, I see problems. ... mutually disconnected nodes?

Cliff Neuman: I can see this -- sometimes you don't want to be reached.  You don't always want to have the service to any node.  You may not want the message forwarded.  I would want to have update available, but the system should have enough information available to let it be delivered.

Bill Washburn: This is a different level of decentralization than I had thought of. No authentication seems to be present.

Cliff Neuman: What is needed is a strengenthing of access control. Email authentication right now comes from a signle channel.  There is an opportunity to strengthen this, and change it to add access control lists, and add policies to individual mailboxes.  Security needs are built into Prospero.