How would the network cope with security camera feeds?

Similar to an earlier (but seemingly obsolete) suggestion I made. Security cameras would be generating a lot of big files continuously, and transmitting them would be expensive if every file had a non-refundable upload cost. Is there a way to make this work?

One way is for the APP to initiate the connection and the data flows over normal direct IP address connection. Maybe even have the connection over Tor or VPN to mask the PC’s IP address.

But if the security camera is wanting to create files that are kept, which is normal for actual security cameras then the camera APP would generate these files on SAFE and a viewer APP would simply stream the file as it is being written. So there would be a small delay because the viewer would be one chunk behind the camera writing.

The files are then the archive of the camera. Just like some companies kept racks of video tape back when that was the only real viable way.

So it would depend on the purpose of the “security” camera.

3 Likes

^^^ This. What I’ve been saying. :slight_smile:

But it might also be asked who (commonly) pays for the initiation of the connection. One possibility is the channel is provided by a freemium-based service, with ads overlaid in the corner of the picture for the free version.

If you initiate it by messaging then no cost.

OK, but I’m unconvinced that completely free messaging will stand the test of time.

If something is totally free (beer) then people will use an infinite amount of it: Spam will swamp every other sort of message, junk forum/listserv postings will go to infinity (require increasing amounts of (ultimately non-free) human labor to filter), etc. Even a tiny cost would mitigate that tendency.

Messaging is not free AFAIK - it costs storage to send a message.

1 Like

I don’t know, I’m just saying that whatever it is, if it is free (beer) it will not work.

Somewhere in the last year when it was being discussed by David, I said the same.

But was told that since the messages you send are held in your “outbox” in a SD object then spam is minimal because you cannot send more while your outbox is full. Message system is for small messages and/or links to chunks with large message.

The costs are in the purchase of an outbox, and if you want to send more than a simple message then the cost of uploading the chunks.

I still think that free email style messaging is not going to fly free without spam. Small messaging as in SAFE messages (great for IoT) using outbox that can fill for free may work if you can limit the # of accounts.

3 Likes

AFAIK the recent changes have introduced deletable data types that refund the safecoin on delete.

1 Like

All TBD, and I might be wrong but I think “refund some of the Safecoin”.

1 Like

That sounds ideal. Data should be deletable, and obviously a small non-refundable deposit to cover costs is necessary.