Re: off-topic overview of standards

From: John Cowan (jcowan@reutershealth.com)
Date: Fri Jan 26 2001 - 13:09:37 EST

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> There are far too many who believe in inventing new local
> "standards" in cases where perfectly good (and probably better thought-out)
> standards already exist.

<geekmode type="networking">
Ah yes. A similar tactic was used in the integration of Ethernet
into DECnet Phase IV: the mapping of 32-bit DECnet node addresses
to 48-bit Ethernet MAC addresses was solved by changing the MAC address
in software to be the same as the DECnet address! (DEC did set
the "locally administered" bit in such MAC addresses.

When the programmer responsible was located and asked "Why didn't
you use ARP?", he replied "What is ARP?"
</geekmode>

-- 
There is / one art             || John Cowan <jcowan@reutershealth.com>
no more / no less              || http://www.reutershealth.com
to do / all things             || http://www.ccil.org/~cowan
with art- / lessness           \\ -- Piet Hein

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