IPv6 Ignorance

[Benedikt Stockebrand]

Hi everybody,

JP Viljoen <froztbyte at froztbyte.net> writes:

> [...] A typical argument I've gotten into is that someone reckons a getnameinfo()/gethostbyname() should Just Work™. [...]

Just for the records: gethostbyname() has been deprecated a long time
ago at least partly because returning only one IP address where
multiple A records exist is a broken API; so this isn't really an IPv6
specific problem.

The point here is, and that's somewhat related to Jens' trainer asking
around for Cobol developers in '99: If your IT department has been so
"streamlined", i.e. overworked, underbudgeted and deprived of any
skills needed beyond everyday keep-it-alive-somehow work, then even
simple changes like updating your code base to use getaddrinfo() and
getnameinfo() become a major effort.

> Anyone got any suggestions on how to approach people who rile against it?

If I run into someone trying to "discuss" the "necessity of IPv6 in
general", I find it most reasonable to get out of that argument as
quickly and quietly as possible.  I generally stick to statements like
"If you don't need IPv6 right now and are set up well enough to handle
it on short notice when or if it becomes relevant to you, then at
least keep a close eye on its development" or something like that.  If
I entered an argument, possibly with others around, that would make it
significantly more difficult and embarrasing for them to change their
position later on, and as such it would only make their situation
worse (and likely lose me a grateful future customer as well).

Generally speaking, you can't help the majority of people until it's
too late; people haven't changed that much since '99.  Instead of
trying to do so I rather spend my time helping those people who are
genuinely interested and just need some pointers to overcome inertia
and start off in the right direction.  And that isn't limited to
techies; despite the language barrier that also applies to managers as
well.


Anyway, if you want to understand what's actually going on, figure out
*why* people behave like that.  Their reasoning may be illogical, but
the reasons driving them usually aren't.  I'm not getting into the
details here, that topic is probably complex enough to fill a book,
aside from extending way beyond IPv6.  

Just one thing to maybe think about: Imagine you were for some reason
an overworked techie trying to keep the underfunded IT in a company
alive as best you can.  Now someone told you you'd have to overhaul
the whole of it (to make it IPv6 capable or whatever)---besides doing
your 60+ hours per week, and no extra resources---then how would you
react?  Or more specifically, how would you react if finally quitting
that job wasn't an option for whatever reason?

Believe it or not, that summarizes the situation in quite a few IT
departments.


Cheers,

    Benedikt

-- 
			 Business Grade IPv6
		    Consulting, Training, Projects

Benedikt Stockebrand, Dipl.-Inform.   http://www.benedikt-stockebrand.de/