[slug-chat] Challenge with Free Software

[invisible ink <jdub@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

begin  invisible ink  chat:

So, everyone's talked about the difficulties of writing un-hackable Free
Software network games... How about this:

Imagine, for a moment, I have a really kickarse data source. Be it a SQL
database, LDAP tree, whatever; it rocks hard. It's also publically available
with the usual pointy-clicky web interface, but it could do so much more.

Basically, I hate the web. It's a cruel joke played upon us all, and this
whole concept of "web applications" irritates me (of course, if you are
going to do something on the web, keep it pure - none of that mamby-pamby
flickery stuff).

So, I want to make this datastore accessible through other means. RSS and
RDF are certainly viable, but they're just so woosy. I want to make RIIICH
information available for querying etc. So, today kids, we're choosing XML
(if only because the average halfwit can at least attempt to glean something
useful from it).

The trouble with this, though, is that my poor little server will be
hammered with multiple versions of gKickArseData, KArseData, uKAData (UDE!
GET USED TO IT!), xKAD, Ekad, WinKAD, BEkaD and of course, Mac-kad and
OSXAD. Then there's going to be crazy dudes with too much time on their
hands requesting fifty million record-equivalents, and all sorts of
shenanigans...

...and that's before being mentioned on slashdot.

So we protect our fast XML data interface with, say, a key of sorts, to stop
this happening. People who ask for a key will get one, especially developers
of Free Software projects. The key should work with their software only, and
not be usable otherwise.

How on earth can you keep a system like this even remotely secure? It's the
same trouble network games have, from what I've heard.

[ Yes, I do believe in unencumbered information, but consider this purely
from the perspective of someone wishing to make an incredibly bulky and
dynamic information source available without grounding a bunch of servers,
and also the sheer difficulty of the problem. ]

- ii

-- 
  Penguinillas Pack GNUzis