On 11/1/21 12:39 PM, Stewart Bryant wrote:
However we seem to find it hard to accept that the fundamental internet protocols should be in a perpetual state of renewal or otherwise risk obsolescence.
I have come to believe (or understand) that interoperability over time is important. That is, it's not only important that two implementations be able to operate at the time they are deployed, but also important that implementations be able to interoperate with other implementations from decades before or hence. Because old systems cannot always be upgraded, and it's very unrealistic to assume that they can or should be. That doesn't mean that the protocol can't evolve, but it needs to preserve backward compatibility - and it's complex to do that if the protocol changes very much.
Keith
