
Darryl Miles (G7LED)                                       June 1994-Sept 1994
Conversd channel usage.

This is a draft proposal to be put about for discussion.  Distribution of
this document is unlimited.


IMPLEMENTATION:

   Not all hosts need to change anything what so ever, in fact most hosts just
   stay as they are.  The only systems which need to experience any changes are
   those at the national and/or regional boundaries.

ADMINISTRATION:

   A simple flag just need to be put next to the link connection info in the
   configuration file, having three states, pass all, pass International and
   National, and pass International only.

FOR:

   Reduce traffic, when a user signs on, then every convers system knows
     about the user, it will also marginally speed up the links in parts
     of the network because is the /..USER and /..UDAT information is not
     being sent over the links the /..CMSG data can be instead.
   Allow stations to monitor for local information, without everyone thinking
     they are at the console.
   Allow local discussions to take place, with a group of local users.
   With local convers some of us can go back to our local tag, and also put
     in callsign validation on login.
   In some countries it is illegal to discuss certain things over Amateur
     radio, so if a code of conduct was drawn for International channels to
     which preferably ALL Amateurs across the world could stick to and all
     sensitive discussion could be restricted to National channels.  More
     research into this nature of international amateur radio is obviously
     needed here.

AGAINST:

   Its anti-social.
   Its another bad British conservative attitude idea.

SPLIT:

   The exact channel split would need to be debated once the initial idea is
   agreed a good thing.  Here are some suggestions which came to mind:

   International:      0 - 29999 (30000 channels)
   National:       30000 - 31999 (2000 channels)
   Local/Regional: 32000 - 32767 (768 channels)

   This would only then affect the last 2768 channels, the above split
   considers the following points:

     * Most current convers activity is with the lower channels (i.e. less
         than 30000), so for that reason they will effectively experience no
         change what so ever.
     * Being as the lower channels are for International convers, and what the
         channel number is sent with every channel message, then cutting the
         channel space up in this way rather than International in the top
         allocation will reduce traffic just a tiny bit.

COMMENTS:

   What are your thoughts on this, please distribute this draft proposal to
   all neighboring convers systems and mail me back at one of the addresses
   on the bottom of the README file.

   I will add you comments if different from those already listed into the
   FOR and AGAINST lists.

--
De Darryl G7LED
