[Dxspider-support] Dx-World and DxCluster

Sun Feb 12 21:20:16 GMT 2023

First of all, I beg your pardon for my bad english. It is not my mother 
language and I cannot express myself as well as I wanted to . That said, 
I am a bit surprised by some of the posts I've reading on both 
mail/group lists (cc-cluster & dx-spider).

I thought than Ham Radio was about tech innovation, experimenting, 
self-teaching, etc. Instead of these, I saw some colleagues who wish to 
keep all those old things without changes.

I expected, of course, some level of reactivity from those who have to 
make the bigger efforts (mainly two unfortunate soft developers, Lee and 
Dirk) and will confront the bigger part of the work (at least on the 
near future), but never from the people who -in a non-profit way- are 
mantaining the cluster system running.

We have a system that has been serving the ham community with 
information (more or less confidable) for a long time. Not only now, but 
going worse, we have to fight a 0.00001 percent of that users (probably 
the same who make DQRM during risk and cost dxpeditions) putting bad 
data into the info system. We have to better the system or it wil become 
-perhaps slowly but for sure- useless.

Of course, any change made on the cluster net will have consequences on 
the other systems connected to them. No doubt that some "reactive" 
measures has been adopted (badips, badnodes, badusers,etc.). Note I said 
"reactive".

Think for example in the bank system. As 99.9999% of the users are good 
people, let them use the ATMs without password. Or connect 3rd part 
systems (bizum, paypal, etc) with no security. It will be ok the 
99.99999% of the time. If someone steal money, we will punish him, don't 
worry! Where is the need of "proactive" security measures, like 
passwords, cards, biometrics?

We are not proposing here a breaking change. We can mantain a low-level 
security network, where the users and client software will be able to be 
feeded by the cluster net, from any node, trusty or unsafe. Of course 
the quality of the info provided by the non-secured nodes will not be 
the same, as you must front the input of fake information, (allow me not 
to explain more about the security breaches that could exist in a near 
future, but we can see some symptoms on every major dxpedition or contest).

On the other hand, we can develope a 2nd level network that can be ONLY 
consulted by the 1st level nodes/users , but they will not be allowed to 
put information in. No security protocols, no passwords, no id 
requirements. This net should meet at least with these requirements, 
that can be more or less pregressively developed and in the best way to 
affect as less as possible to the existing net itself, the different 
node softwares, and then the "client" ones (loggers, contest tools, 
SDRs,...):

- Node safe identification. Every node should known each other, and 
secure the info running between them.
- Client (dx hunter, contester, etc) identified to be able to upload 
information to the net. This should be filled by a per node policy or 
better, a shared system of SSO (single sign on) which allow any client 
to be identified by one node only and be able to id himself on any node. 
Each system has its pro/contras.
- Interconnection with 3rd part nets (see RBN) as secure as possible. 
They will have to front its own security risks too.

- Tools enough to reject bad nodes, bad "clients" and bad data (fake 
spots mainly and then "badwords")

The result of these implementations will define the final quality of the 
information feeded to the system, and also, the quality of the 
information given to all those 3rd part systems as well. We all know 
about some systems running today where no serious dxer or contester will 
connect to. He will be given only trash. All the involved software 
developers will have to choose which source they want to be connected to.

Finally, don't forget than in a wide field of our "market" another big 
source of information already exists. I'm talking about RBN. Out of SSB, 
almost all other modes are fulfilled by it. Of course it has also its 
own problems of data reliability (we will not talk about the quality 
specs that sometimes are asked for to it, and then we -cluster nodes- 
don't accomplish with)

I know we know ham ops are getting more and more aged, and as good 3rd 
agers are proclive to reject changes, think on the old good times, but 
don't forget that we are here to learn, to experiment and to go forward, 
that has been our history from the very radio begginings. We don't do 
this for the money (I hope in 99.99999% of the cases), but for the joy. 
Don't let that 0.000001% of us to break the 99.0000% efforts because we 
don't want to change our mind a bit.

Please excuse me for the language, typos and other mistakes

As always, 73 & good radio
Mikel EA2CW

(sent to cc-cluster discussion list too)

El 10/02/2023 a las 14:51, Luigi Carlotto IK5ZUK via Dxspider-support 
escribió:
> Hello all,
> please read carefully this article apperared today on Dx-World web site:
>
> https://www.dx-world.net/unacceptable-behaviour-on-dx-clusters/
>
> 73 Luigi IK5ZUK
>
> _______________________________________________
> Dxspider-support mailing list
> Dxspider-support at tobit.co.uk
> https://mailman.tobit.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/dxspider-support

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https://t.me/EA2CW