1. At least one computer storage medium storing instructions that, when executed on at least one processor, perform a method for creating an overlay network from a set of networked computers, the method comprising: assigning each computer a different string name, the string name comprising at least one text string having at least one letter such that the string name can be ordered lexicographically; assigning each computer a different number, wherein each number is unique over the set of networked computers and the distribution of numbers over computers is probabilistically uniform; forming at least a base ring, the base ring having the set of networked computers as members, the set of networked computers in the base ring being logically ordered lexicographically by string name; creating at least one routing table for each computer, wherein the at least one routing table includes two or more pointers, each of the two or more pointers pointing to a respective particular computer that is a different number of positions offset from the computer associated with the respective at least one routing table, a first pointer of the two or more pointers being based, at least in part, on a lexicographical distance between the computer and the respective particular computer to which the at least one pointer points such that the at least one routing table supports routing through a namespace comprising the string names of the set of networked computers; wherein the first pointer in each computer's at least one routing table points to an immediately following computer when the computers are ordered lexicographically by string name; wherein a second pointer in each computer's at least one routing table points to an immediately preceding computer when the computers are ordered lexicographically by string name; wherein a third pointer in each computer's at least one routing table points to a distant computer that is K positions ahead when the computers are ordered lexicographically by string name; and wherein a fourth pointer in each computer's at least one routing table points to a distant computer that is K positions behind when the computers are ordered lexicographically by string name.