Re: The ecosystem is moving

Miles Fidelman <mfidelman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> · Fri, 13 May 2016 21:38:57 -0400



    Back to the original point, for a moment:

    
    Stephane Bortzmeyer <bortzmeyer@xxxxxx> Wed, 11 May 2016 12:58
    UTCShow header

    
    A very interesting paper (I said
      "intesresting", I didn't say I

      agree!) on open networks where independant nodes with
      independently

      developed programs interoperate thanks to standards. The author
      claims

      closed and centralized systemes are better, because they allow
      faster

      evolution (he uses security as an example).

      
      Many IETF cases mentioned (XMPP, IPv6, email...)

      
      https://whispersystems.org/blog/the-ecosystem-is-moving/

    
    My long-standing observation is that the climate has changed.  In
    the early days, there was both "demand pull" for new protocols, and
    an environment that encouraged (and to an extent) funded new
    protocol development and deployment.

    
    Since then, the climate has changed:

    
    - it's very hard to get a new protocol into the ecosystem (there are
    quite a few useful protocols, that simply are not supported)

    
    - the drivers have changed from greater interconnection and
    interoperability (back to the original ARPANET drivers of resource
    sharing and collaboration) - to "can it be monetized?"

    
    It's simply a lot easier to deploy a new SaaS, behind an API, and to
    charge for it, than it is to deploy new protocol infrastructure.

    
    The exception seems to be when there is a strong "forcing function"
    - applied top-down.  DoD Force Transformation & the Command
    & Control Research Program drove new operational models into the
    military environment - into networks, into system specifications,
    and into doctrine.  Examples that come to mind:

    - XMPP is widely used for tactical chat

    - DIS is widely used to support distributed simulation and training
    - including deployment of persistent training federations

    - Tactical Data Links (e.g., Link-16) are all over the place

    - DDS is widely used for sensor-weapon linkages

    Also of note - NNTP remains widely used on the SIPRNET, at the top
    of the MDMP (Military Decision Making Process) 

    
    Another example that comes to mind is the Digital Libraries
    Initiative - which forced a lot standards and protocols for library
    system interoperability.

    
    IMHO, without such forcing functions, the natural tendency is toward
    centralized, proprietary services - and back toward a world of
    walled gardens.  Even in areas where we have a measure of widespread
    interoperability - such as calendaring - we see things like Google
    pulling iCal support - making it ever so much more tedious to
    schedule a meeting.

    
    Miles Fidelman

    
    -- 
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.  .... Yogi Berra