Re: URL parsing and IPv6 addresses

> From: Robert Elz <kre@munnari.OZ.AU> writes:

>    As for URLs, maybe the same solution should apply, i.e. somehow quote the
>    IPv6 address between braces that tell you "this is an IPv6 address".

> No, for URLs the correct answer is to do nothing.   There is no
> need at all for a URL to contain a literal address, under any
> circumstances (IPv6 or IPv4).

Not that it's all that relevant here, but this is a very shortsighted statement
(IMHO)! There is certainly a need for an IP address in a URL. I know of a
person who runs a web server at home, through an ISP with dynamic addressing.
A link on the provider supplies the (current) IP address of the page. Sure,
you say, the provider merely has to have all their addresses in DNS. But what
if they don't (I don't think this person's ISP does, for example)?? Or, put
another way, my DNS is down, but I know the IP address of where I want to go.
So I can just go there, no lookup required. Or the name hasn't propigated out
yet. But I still want to get there. So I use the IP address. Well, you say, you
can always wait until the name propigates out. Sure, I could, but I want/need
to get there NOW.

Now, I'll be the first to admit I don't know many details of IPv6 so perhaps
it handles this in its own way. But this sounds like someone used to a type
of environment and so not able to see outside that environment. There are many
ways of connecting to (and using) the net...

DDA

Received on Friday, 16 August 1996 18:11:47 UTC