Monday, September 22, 2014

Impending Internet

Impending Internet

I heard a respected software engineer say something like, "I saw the advent of the web, and that turned out to be right. I saw Linux on virtualization, and that turned out to be right.". Personally I felt a little vindicated because I had seen the same things. But I was frustrated by his comment because this guy also does not see some impending changes of our landscape.

Impending ... as if something is yet to be.
Case in point, IPv6. I've been pitching IPv6 for the platforms I support for several years. But a number of my peers just don't like it. They don't want to "do" IPv6 until they have to. I gotta think that the procrastination is from ignorance: I suspect that they think IPv6 is difficult. It's not.

IPv6 is not impending. It's now. "It's soooo yesterday!"

As for me, I hate being forced into something, even if it's something that I like, something cool or fun. I got into IPv6 with help from the Orc almost four years ago. Had been trying on my own to crack into IPv6 for the better part of a decade. In the end, I got by with a little help from my friend.

Then today's news, not specifically about IPv6, but tangentially related. I heard about a Chinese government hack against SSL. The targeted network is their CERNET education and research network, which it turns out is entirely IPv6 (CERNET2, at least). Here's my chance to say it: told ya. The Asian tech sector is way ahead of Europe and the Americas on this front.

Most of the major shops have a complete IPv6 rollout underway, many nearly complete. So ... there's plenty of examples of getting this done. C'mon, try with a little help from your friends.




-- R; <><