So I’m sitting here while my shared folder is busy…let’s just say that I am a “KazaaLite Master”… 
Music is my addiction. The Straight Dope is my addiction.
Would I be willing to install software and take the necessary security precautions to offer my box and bandwidth to a SDMB Pool?
Absolutely.
Is it possible? If so, how? Is it a functional alternative?
Sure, it’s possible. But for it to be effective, each member would have to have the entire SDMB database on his harddrive, and of course the P2P software to drive the whole thing. Of course decentralization causes a whole new set of problems for the moderators. Imagine trying to lock a topic…on 30,000 computers! It’s a nice idea, but impractical, I think.
Not to mention we’d have to rewrite/update the entire board on our own PC every time someone made a post.
Yikes!
Well, they wouldn’t have to rewrite the whole database with each post, just add the new post (if the software was properly written).
Also, you wouldn’t need a copy of the whole databse on every computer. One of the advantages of P2P is that you can have pieces spread out over different machines.
The biggest problem I would see from a P2P message board would be how to handle distribution of new posts.
It’s an interesting idea, though!
Sure you’d need a copy of the full database on every computer. What if the people that had the bits you wanted to access at the moment were offline?
You’re basically talking about re-inventing usenet.
It’s not going to happen so I may as well close this thread.
bibliophage
moderator GQ