IPv6 Ignorance

[JP Viljoen]

On 17 Sep 2012, at 2:09 PM, Benedikt Stockebrand <me at benedikt-stockebrand.de> wrote:

> 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.

Yes, I'm aware of this, and included it for specifically this reason. There are some cases where things are still stuck there, and it's a very unfortunate disaster in some of those cases.

> 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.

Fair points. I wouldn't say that the situation I specifically have in mind is quite is that problem, but it could certainly be a contributing factor mentally on their part.

>> 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.  
<snip>

A fair exit strategy, and more or less what I've been going with as well. Ah well. Let the pain come forth and teach lessons. Oh, isn't that roughly what that quote about experience says? "Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first, and the lesson after." ;)

-J