Suggestions for new Lab services?

[kgc]

Now that faxing is mostly wrapped up, we're looking for our next Labs project. We have a few ideas and are looking for some feedback.

Support has asked for a clone a service like yousendit.com so they aren't faced with having to send customers trying to send large files via email (no, you can't really expect to send that 4GB video in an email) to a 3rd party service.

We've considered putting up a generic file storage service that would be accessible via ftp, http (web dav) and whatever other protocols we can figure out how to support securely. This wouldn't be for sharing your files as much as a chunk of space available to your for free that you could use to backup important data or use as a briefcase service.

Another idea is a for an anonymous email forwarding service that would allow users to create addresses (that may or may not expire) as an alternate to using +routing that could be given to a specific vendor without having to worry about future spam.

What would you find most useful? Other ideas?

[gp1628]

Instead of a cloning service, maybe you could make it easier for people to use their webspace. A nice drag-n-drop maybe which gives them an url? It doesnt have to be visible and spidered.

Personally Id MUCH rather get a link to a file than to get their file in almost every case.

[aw]

I believe someone in another thread mentioned Dynamic DNS service. Don't know how feasible it would be to do, but I know I'd sure use it!

[kgc]

I believe someone in another thread mentioned Dynamic DNS service. Don't know how feasible it would be to do, but I know I'd sure use it!

I figure a credible dydns service would need a windows/mac client so I've discounted the possibility of doing this for the time being.

[aw]

Well, if you ever have the desire to do a linux one, I'd be a happy guinea pig!

[dane]

Don't need a dynamic DNS feature if we just offer static IP!

-Dane

[gp1628]

Yes static IP is much better than dynamic DNS. I know for my servers Id much prefer a more permanent address over a way to make my fluctuating address seem permanent.

Im not sure I can come up with a reason for preferring dynamic over static. Anonymity? Easier to setup?

[jmunowitch]

What would you find most useful? Other ideas?

Well, this is not really a Labs request, but possibly a private repository mirror of a few popular Linux distributions available exclusively to Sonic.net customers?

This may decrease the amount of bandwidth usage that leaves and comes into your network, while increasing download speed for Sonic.net customers. But then again, how many customers do you have using Linux and how many are actually going to add/switch to the repository.

Just a thought.

[kgc]

Well, this is not really a Labs request, but possibly a private repository mirror of a few popular Linux distributions available exclusively to Sonic.net customers?

Well, there already is http://mirrors.sonic.net -- maybe it is already there?

[jmunowitch]

Woops, did not know about that. Now I have to figure out how this mirror to my Ubuntu repository list.