Flexibility

Flexibility is key to Jtrix. No system can hope to have everything present and everything right first time. In practice this means:

• The node has minimum functionality. Everything else is a service layered on top.
• There are no fixed authorities. Not for trust, not for authentication, not for money, not for anything. Jtrix does not impose currencies or even business models. Harry has complete choice.
• Jtrix needs to run cross-platform, so Java has been chosen as the first implementation of Jtrix nodes and netlets.
• The Jtrix node implementation is open source. This gives developers the best opportunity to create services for it, it increases the chances of nodes and services being right for most people, and all the other benefits brought about by open, collaborative development. For Harry, his ASPs, and his ISPs, it means barriers to entry are as low as they could be.

The open source nature of Jtrix may need some elaboration. The specification for a node is open for anyone to create their own implementation, and similarly they may create their own implementation of the services mentioned above with the standard interfaces. This helps flexibility and avoids vendor lock-in. Of course completely new services may also be added so the system can grow with a user's need. And finally the initial implementation of a Jtrix node is open source so that is better able to evolve into a dependable server platform.