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Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!ut-sally!ut-ngp!werner
From: werner@ut-ngp.UUCP (Werner Uhrig)
Newsgroups: net.mail
Subject: Re: Domains: Multiple names OK? (really, decommissioning of nicknames)
Message-ID: <3936@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 7-Sep-86 22:10:25 EDT
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.3936
Posted: Sun Sep  7 22:10:25 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 8-Sep-86 00:17:40 EDT
References: <566@mecc.UUCP> <2502@cbosgd.UUCP> <3920@ut-ngp.UUCP> <41448@beno.seismo.CSS.GOV>
Organization: UTexas Computation Center, Austin, Texas
Lines: 61
Summary: agony is the right word ....

In article <41448@beno.seismo.CSS.GOV>, rick@seismo.CSS.GOV (Rick Adams) writes:
> 
> 
> I had the NIC remove the SEISMO alias, they did not do it on their own.
> 
> The idea is simple, if we ARE going to domain based names, then let's get rid
> of the non-domained names. If we aren't why should anyone bother to
> go through the agony of converting to domain server based hosts tables.

...interesting. the cause was a little self-righteous arm-twisting by an
individual fed up with the lack of progress trying to create a lot of
squealing users who will then descend on their local site-administrator
to demand explanation why the software hasn't been upgraded yet ....
well, while I sympathize with your frustration, Rick .....

the problem is, of course, that such action also impacts *SEVERELY* the user
interface and causes all kind of aggravation and wasted time for users,
while not necessarily changing the pace of conversion (so it seems locally).
It just adds to the problem and agony.

Removing SEISMO from the NIC-table, BTW, only caused some sites to add an
entry for Seismo in their local tables.

I'm all for computers talking "domain-addresses" - I am against users having
to deal with that aggravation.  Or is anyone out there very keen on explaining
to a "heavy" (think of Ted Koppel, Kaspar Weinberger, Edsgar Dikstra)
why in this day and age of Fifth Generation computers, Expert Systems, and
(shudder) Star-Wars, a user has to now learn that SEISMO has become
SEISMO.CSS.GOV, UTEXAS-20 is now R20.UTEXAS.EDU, and UT-NGP has become
NGP.CC.UTEXAS.EDU.  I bet such an individual is also likely to be able to
explain away the confusion of my mother-in-law with the long-distance mess
which came out of the break-up of AT&T. (but I digress...)

  If you add up the total of aggravation caused net-wide
by the time all sites come out of their "coocoon" ..., well, that will be
a lot of man-years .... maybe it can be used as an excuse why Star-Wars will
be late ....

The net-wide impact on the user-interface for the general users of the
net HAD TO be taken into account when proposing and planning the change,
and having misjudged that would be an interesting topic to get roasted for
(think '60 Minutes')

  It is my impression that computers and the net as a whole (think of Email,
News, File Transfers, etc, for which site-name, domain-style or not, are
important) are no longer just for the entertainment of hackers, 
but are supposed to serve "the rest of the world" to whom
"grep" and "etc/hosts" can justifiably remain a mistery.  [ this in reference
to the posting by metzger@heathcliff.columbia.edu (Perry Metzger @ Columbia
University CS Department) earlier in this group, who seems to be living in a
world of only UNIX machines, where learning the names of UNIX-commands and
system-files is a precondition for existence.  Fortunately, Perry, you are
of a dying breed (I hope, anyway), needed to keep the current generation
of computers and software functioning, but hardly the "typical profile"
for which the computers are here to provide service to.
[ I hope I'll be forgiven for this little slap back - I have a hard time
ignoring his comment "Poor guy. He had to use his mind a bit. ...."
but I have no intentions to consider Perry's message as a basis for any
continued serious discussion. - sorry to throw this in to this follow-up
to the message from Rick, to whom no disrespect is intended - Rick' reasons
and grievance, I understand ]