On shouting "Fire!": regulating decoupled communication in distributed systems

Decoupled communication, which requires no direct association between the producers of information and its consumers -- as under the publish/subscribe (P/S) middleware -- is often essential for the integration of distributed and heterogeneous applications. But the indefinite, and potentially global, reach of decoupled communication -- the very reason for its power -- has a dark side, which may complicate the system using it, making it less predictable, more brittle, and less safe. Just think about the effect of shouting "fire" in a packed theatre, particularly, but not only, if it is a false alarm.