[AusNOG] IPv6 Article on CNN

Mon May 31 11:35:56 EST 2010

Hi Skeeve,

On Sun, May 30, 2010 at 10:14:24PM +1000, Skeeve Stevens wrote:
> IPv6 is just a new version of IPv4..... it is Windows 2008 to 2003, or
> Windows 7 to XP/Vista.  You might be making a few dollars selling
> students some tunnels for now, but that will disappear in a not too
> distant time.

I think Kevin was making the point that Studentnet is an innovative
service running on IPv6 and using features that could not happen with
IPv4 - but in fact the people using Studentnet barely know it uses
IPv6 and don't care anyway.

> You do it because IPv4 is running out.  You start preparing ASAP so
> that when it really hits and your customer start asking, then you don't
> have to network in a crisis just to keep your customer.

Couldn't agree more! I've been working on the IPv6 Summits for the last
six years. We've tried everything we could think of to get attention
- tech integrity arguements like the above, innovation for the good news,
doomsday scenarios for the bad. We go out of our way to get media
attendance, but the doomsday stories are the only thing that ever gets
attention - and then it always ends up on the tech pages...

> My reference to softly softly is in reference to the mass-market.
> You'd be lucky if your average user knows what the term 'ipv6' is....
> or 'ipv4'... they know what an IP address is, but there has been almost
> NO mass market promotion of what is going on with the IPv4 run-out.

Agreed. So who's got the mega-dollars and remit to do this? The
government? The Oz government, bless their censorious little hearts, have
actually been one of the few to insist that it's own networks are
v6-capable by the end of 2012. (BTW that was a real victory for the IPv6
Summit, which targetted them on this - they originally wanted the
deadline to be 2015.)

But does the govt spread the word? Don't think so. There's votes in stuff
people read in the headlines - hospitals, boat people, mines, schools etc
etc. But the technology that underpins the modern world?  No way -
they're like Wile E. Coyote, afraid to look down.

> Note, I am not saying these are nothing, or bad things... everything is
> great.  But this discussion started re a CNN (and more recently an
> article quoting Geoff Huston), and we are talking about the MASS
> market.  News.com.au/smh.com.au and so on front page links to
> articles.... THIS is what I am talking about.... This is the medium in
> which the users of Australia and the world will slowly start to hear
> about 'IPv6' and understand what is happening... and maybe start to ask
> ISPs and suppliers.

Yes, yes, yes.  But who's going to write the articles?  Who's got the
million-dollar budget to market v6? And even if they did, would it get
wars, oil spills, political shenanigans off the front pages?

The unbelievable value of the interconnectedness taken for granted, held
together by the amazing efforts of techies everywhere, just isn't seen as
worth a headline. (Unless you can get votes blathering about porn.)

Think about this. The remaining IANA IPv4 pool fell by *eight* /8 blocks
- from 26 to 18 - in just the first 5 months of 2010. Out of the
remaining 18, 5 are earmarked, so only 13 remain unallocated. At that burn
rate? ... you do the maths.

Regards,
Kate

 Dr Kate Lance, Communications Manager           IPv6 Now Pty Ltd         
 Phone +61 416 070 230                Head Office +61 2 6161 6607        
 kate at ipv6now.com.au      Understanding - Transition - Innovation
 www.ipv6now.com.au    PO Box 152 Civic Square ACT 2608 Australia 

> ...Skeeve
> 
> --
> Skeeve Stevens, CEO/Technical Director
> eintellego Pty Ltd - The Networking Specialists
> skeeve at eintellego.net / www.eintellego.net
> Phone: 1300 753 383, Fax: (+612) 8572 9954
> Cell +61 (0)414 753 383 / skype://skeeve
> www.linkedin.com/in/skeeve ; facebook.com/eintellego
> --
> NOC, NOC, who's there?
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net [mailto:ausnog-
> > bounces at lists.ausnog.net] On Behalf Of Kevin Karp
> > Sent: Sunday, 30 May 2010 8:17 PM
> > To: ausnog at lists.ausnog.net
> > Subject: [AusNOG] IPv6 Article on CNN
> > 
> > Skeeve
> > 
> > There's a lot in your post, I'll just focus on the issues specific to
> > me...
> > 
> > >  Kevin, you'd rather show people the rewards and profits?  What
> > profits?
> > >  Apart from integration and selling people new hardware, there are no
> > real profits
> > >  in just 'having IPv6'.  Rewards?
> > 
> > I'm truly saddened that you can not (after all this time) identify
> > these. There have been whole presentations at the IPv6 summit (I know
> > because I've given some of them).
> > 
> > I am amazed to see you so unaware.
> > 
> > >  The only reward is being in business in a couple of years time - the
> > >  most important of all rewards - but you can't sell that.
> > 
> > Well we agree here, you need to show real benefits relevant to the
> > business in question and that is the only true motivator.
> > 
> > >  APNIC, ISOC-AU, IPv6NOW (in this region) and other organisations
> > have taken this
> > >  softly softly approach for far too long and where is IPv6 adoption
> > at?
> > 
> > ISOC-AU and IPv6Now (I cannot speak for APNIC) have taken anything BUT
> > a softly, softly approach. Whether it be the annual summits, or
> > innovative product development, or representation to government our
> > activities have been aggressive and way ahead of the market.
> > 
> > Just one example, close to my own activities, Studentnet has been an
> > aggressive roll out of IPv6 infrastructure to an astute, mature, market
> > segment. Moreover because of it, I dare say that market segment is
> > better IPv6 prepared than the rest of Australian industry bar any,
> > including the ISP industry.
> > 
> > >  It is terrible considering how close we are to the ipv4 run-out.
> > 
> > Again total agreement from me, but surely that tells you something
> > about the effectiveness of the doomsayer strategy whereas I can (and
> > have been) pointing out to you complete long term programs (read my
> > previous 2 para's).
> > 
> > >This technology is critical to the Telco/carrier/isp/etc world
> > continuing to operate...
> > >those who are responsible to handing out these recourses to the end
> > users have,
> > >for the most part minus a few notables (such as Internode, Pipe),
> > 
> > AND Studentnet(via IPv6Now)!
> > 
> > >  have made very little progress in deploying or making this
> > technology widely available to
> > >  the public/their customers.
> > 
> > Well the facts are that ALL of the Studentnet schools have now (and
> > have been for 18+ months) had their IPv6 address allocations made and
> > their web sites facilities v6 accessible - I cannot speak for others.
> > 
> > Regards
> > 
> > Kevin
> > 
> > --
> > STUDENTNET(r) - Highly Commended: Australian Privacy Awards 2008
> >     Kevin Karp                            kjk at studentnet.edu.au
> >     next.studentnet.edu.au                  Tel +61 2 9281 1626
> >     Suite 1, 89 Jones St
> >     Ultimo NSW 2007 Australia              Fax +61 2 9281 3047
> > _____________________________________________________________
> > 
> > 
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