>>>> The address *is* a valid identifier in the IP architecture. >>> Er, um, well of an interface maybe. But what you >>> really want is a host identifier, which is the source >>> of lots of trouble... >> want != have >> and keith is trying to focus on the pragmatic reality > Well, the pragmatic reality is to avoid using IP > addresses as substitutes for endpoint > identitifiers. Or maybe that's not pragmatic, but > tough noogies; using IP addresses as endpoint > identifiers is sloppy and generally a bad idea. so are war and hunger