[icecast] a new directory service

[Oddsock]

At 09:25 PM 10/17/2001, you wrote:
>I am not averse to making time-dependent information available.  But it
>does not fit in this model.
>
>
>That being said, let's disucss the pros and cons.  What is your
>objection to making the server responsible for time-dependent data?

ok, I'll bite...
I interpret what you mean by "server responsible for time-dependent data" 
to mean, in order to find out what is currently playing on a particular 
streaming server listed on the YP (without actually listening to the 
stream) you will need to request this info from the streaming server itself.

o, assuming that to be true, then consider the following scenario :
5 streams listed on the YP, 10 people browsing the YP. (another big 
assumption here : all people browsing the YP want to know what is playing 
on the 5 stations before choosing what to listen to and cannot determine 
from the station titles alone)

if "server responsible for time-dependent data" is the method, then each 
stream will recieve 10 requests for "What's playing" (in addition to the 10 
requests to the YP for the static station info)

if "YP responsible for time-dependent data" is the method, then there is no 
requests sent to the actual streams, and you only incur the 10 requests to 
the YP.

So, from a streamer's point of view, I now have to calculate bandwidth 
required for my stream + bandwidth required for a possibly indeterminate 
number of client requests.  Also, I don't see this scaling very well from a 
streamer's point of view...if I am running on a modem connection then how 
many YP browsers will it take to occupy all the available bandwidth 
answering the "What's Playing" request ?

ok, so a logical counter-points would be :
***make the model such that YP browsers only request this info for streams 
that they are interested in.  That would reduce the amount of "What's 
Playing" information that is redundant and not really used.***
I would consider this a very tough thing to do effectively.  Obviously you 
can't just have a YP client that makes you click on a station and tell it 
to "refresh song titles"...That's just not the way people leaf through the 
YP info (my opinion).  People want to search for "The Rolling Stones" and 
come up with a list of stations that are currently playing the 
Stones...This kind of request would be almost impossible in the "server 
responsible for time-dependent data" model.

if you want to find out what browsing through a time-dependent-less 
directory is like, force yourself to use the Live365 directory (no song 
titles, no listener counts)...they have no time-dependent information, and 
if you want to know what's playing, you can find out (making a client 
request) by clicking on the stream....This is a wholly useless directory in 
my opinion...

ok, enough for now..

oddsock

>jack.
>
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