host-identifier with IPv6

[Simon Hobson]

Ted Lemon wrote:
>On Mar 3, 2009, at 3:18 AM, Simon Hobson wrote:
>>Sorry, but this comes across as "we don't care if the protocol
>>doesn't work for some important real world setups - that's your fault
>>for having the audacity to work around practical issues".
>
>I think this is really the heart of this discussion.   Ultimately, 
>you feel that the wrong decision was made.

Yes, I could have phrased that differently. I just find it strange 
that non of this was thought about way back then - but perhaps none 
of the people who this affects got involved.

>So I'm trying to offer constructive suggestions for how to deal with 
>things as they are, and you're telling me they shouldn't be that 
>way.   This is the wrong time for that.   You were here when the 
>IETF was designing this protocol.

I agree, now is "too late" - I think a lot of what we do would be 
different "if we knew then what we know now" ! Who knows, if someone 
could time travel, would we ever have started with 32 bit IP 
addresses ?

I guess, back then I would have thought along the lines of "I'm only 
a very small user, and I doubt if I can bring anything to the party 
that other users already are - apart from more noise !". Perhaps too 
many take that attitude ?

>Speaking as an author of a client, I've found this conversation 
>instructive, and I will certainly be making code changes to account 
>for what's been discussed here.   I don't know if other client 
>implementors are paying attention to this discussion (I'm sure the 
>ISC guys are!),

That would be interesting to know ! Perhaps I'm a bit too cynical at 
times, but I don't hold much hope that certain big vendors are 
listening. My cynicism comes partly from working in a "Windows shop" 
and getting to quietly observe how some of it works (or doesn't!) - 
slowly plugging away to bring enlightenment to the rest of the team 
;-)

>but hopefully all of this talk hasn't been in vain.   But I don't 
>think we're making progress, so I'm going to propose that we table 
>it now (although if you want to respond with some incisive 
>rejoinders, I won't take it the wrong way).

No, no witty retorts. But it does remind me of the old joke about the 
traveller asking for directions, only to be told by the local "well 
if I were you, I wouldn't start from here" !

-- 
Simon Hobson

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