As you all know from the whitepaper and http://www.psyc.eu/synconf PSYC tries to be free from directory services in itself. Instead, external technologies like DNS, the web or the mere proliferance of the uniform are used to serve that purpose.

1 Well-Known Resources for PSYC

I have installed a DNS tree according to my 1994 plan for well-known resources in the PSYC network (http://www.psyc.eu/94/dns.html). This allows for commands like "/join linux" to connect you to *the* standard linux place on the PSYC network no matter on which server it resides. Since we don't have clickable PSYC urls in web browsers yet, this is a parallel step into making PSYC networks easier to use. Current usage, unlike in the 94 draft, goes like this:

1.1 Finding a Server close to You

A strategy that has been used by IRC networks etc. If you really just want any public server and don't care about all the implications, here's a way to go about it: Ask <countrycode>.server.psyc.eu for a server willing to host you. Example: psyc://us.server.psyc.eu

1.2 Looking up Gateways for Protocol Schemes

A new gateway to an until now undefined protocol name is available? Your PSYC software will be able to use it rightaway by looking up <scheme>.scheme.psyc.eu and asking that server to gateway the messages. Example: Any PSYC software is able to deliver a message by e-mail simply by talking to mailto:user@host, even if it doesn't implement SMTP (the e-mail protocol) itself.

1.3 Well-Known Services

Ask <service>.service.psyc.eu for a server willing to fulfil a service. A good example is finding the root of a newscasting service. /enter psyc://indymedia.service.psyc.eu/@indymedia takes you there.

1.4 Well-Known Places and People

are probably a lesser good idea, but I have set them up just in case. Ask <name>.place.psyc.eu to enter a well-known place. Check <name>.person.psyc.eu to contact a well-known person.

1.5 Test Installations

Give the productive servers a break. When testing and debugging please insert the subdomain "test" in front of "psyc.eu" thus using de.server.test.psyc.eu when looking for a german test server (example) to play around with. Thank you!

2 psyc.eu

Friends will remember, they had already set up the secondaries, when somebody else grabbed the domain names psyc.net and psyc.org. Until we have one of them back, we will use psyc.eu.

One way or the other, every piece of PSYC software should have the option to change the directory suffix from "psyc.eu" into anything you prefer, thus allowing you to set up your own.