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Bram Cohen's Response to Microsoft's Avalanche
An anonymous reader writes "Bram Cohen has reduced Microsoft's proposed file-sharing application--codenamed Avalanche--to vaporware, dubbing its paper on the subject as "complete garbage". "I'd like to clarify that Avalanche is vapourware," Cohen said. "It isn't a product which you can use or test with, it's a bunch of proposed algorithms. There isn't even a fleshed-out network protocol. The 'experiments' they've done are simulations.""
Another pointless article. Troll me, but the fact is that this is addressing something that is behind MS's closed doors. This guy is spouting off and no one can challenge him, because there are no facts. I am sure there will be lots of discussion, because everyone loves to hate MS, but get real, I for one am not going to allow egg on my face too by following this guy blindly down an unmarked road, only on his word.
Yeah, Im sure a team of qualified and certified researchers from teh biggest software company in the world, getting paid to do this stuff for years, have no idea what they are talking about, especially compared to one arrogant individual.
BT is relatively new, I am sure within a few years some serious inadequacies will be found which will make this research from Microsoft more significant.
I.O.U One Sig.
Definition from dictionary.com for those like me who dont know what vapourware means. /vay'pr-weir/ (UK "vapourware") Products announcedfar in advance of any release (which may or may not actuallytake place). The term came from Atari users and was later applied by Infoworld to Microsoft's continuous lying about Microsoft Windows.
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Slashdot should really mirror what they link to themselves. ;)
I think that's fair....
Yeah, I'm on dialup too and the speeds seem good to me. The previous poster obviously doesn't have a clue. Good thing you were there to set him straight.
That Microsoft has the manpower to turn it into real software is a given.
Like Microsoft Windows? Currently i'm having problems installing certain packages, the MSI installer is broken. I tried reinstalling windows, cleaning the registry, and still doesn't work. My conclusion is that the latest "windows update" screwed it up.
Trust me, you DON'T want to use Microsoft software. No matter how "good" they say it is.
>Avalanche? That's actually what Microsoft will end up buried in, only it won't be snow, it might just be trash in a landfill.
.NET Framework already. ...Oh wait. That's cross-platform.
Unless we all give up capitalism for an agrarian society, not bloody likely.
As we speak, Verizon inc of U.S.A. is working with Microsoft to bring cable TV via FIOS.
If the OS market won't cut it ( extremely unlikely ) then there are a million other avenues Microsoft can take and still be top dog.
As for dated, repetitive, and misplaced, stability issues; to quote a famous programmer...
"Testing? What's that? If it compiles, it is good, if it boots up, it is perfect."
-- Linus Torvalds
After FreeBSD, I'll take Microsoft over anything else.
A properly configured and maintained Windows machine with an adequate firewall and antivirus measures is far more productive and reliable than any Linux box, thanks.
( Please leave the "I can run Linux on my 8 year old machine" remarks out. I said productive. Not a toy that boots up and does a few tricks. )
Amazing how hate for the developer company can do more damage to software than any exploit.
If it's from MS, it's immediately half assed right?
So let's just dump the
> "Vaporware is technically correct: you can't download and use Avalanche. But you may be able to in a year or two."
You WILL be able to in a year or two.
-Cassius
P.S.
"Score:2, Insightful"
BULLSHIT!!!
What insight?!
Avalanche IS NOT an operating system. It's a bloody APPLICATION.
How can it be insightful, if the one posting it can't make the distinction???
- Cassius
Frank, honest, and wrong. There's nothing wrong with the MS paper. It's perfectly clear mathematically that (a) it works and (b) it is vastly superior to BitTorrent. Bram should be implementing these ideas, not flaming them.
:)
His conceit is that the paper is "about BitTorrent". It isn't. The fact that BT no longer uses "tit for tat" has no bearing whatsoever on the academic relevance of the paper's primary theses.
The guy's obviously feeling insulted, and responding, but there appears to be no rational reason for that.
As a result he has completely misunderstood and then mischaracterized the contribution of this paper. It is not "just adding error correction to BitTorrent". It is far more elegant than that. It is about making a system where any N packets from any sources can be combined to the original file. It completely eliminates the problem of people leaving early.
Bram simply doesn't understand the concept.
How far further do I need to go before that blog goes over my head?
I'm "alluding" to the fact that you're a fag.