<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Nov 13, 2008 at 12:19 PM, Alex Balashov <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:abalashov@evaristesys.com">abalashov@evaristesys.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div class="Ih2E3d">Steve Totaro wrote:<br>
<br>
> Alex is going to cling to to the RFC as if it were the gospel, and not<br>
> look at what would essentially be a "good thing".<br>
<br>
</div>The RFC is not "the gospel," but nor is it just a "request for comment,"<br>
historical nomenclature aside.<br>
<br>
It is the de facto standard for the implementation of the protocol, the<br>
product of IETF working groups, various standards bodies, and private<br>
and academic industry consortia. It is essential for interoperability<br>
and is the source of the justification for the appeal to "sameness" in<br>
the claim that two elements or services speak the "same" protocol.<br>
<br>
Inconsistencies, omissions, or deviations from the standard in<br>
implementations do not materially undermine this point. Nothing is<br>
perfect, including the RFC itself, which is replete with ambiguities<br>
open to interpretation and disagreements about those interpretations.<br>
However, it does provide the anchor for essential adherence, especially<br>
when it comes to points that are spelled out clearly (i.e. the basic<br>
purpose and function of registration and contact bindings) as opposed to<br>
more marginal scenarios.<br>
<br>
Do I really have to explain why it is important to follow the RFC when<br>
implementing an IETF protocol?<br>
<br>
One thing you need to appreciate is that when you are recommending<br>
changes to default settings, you are engaging in a kind of standards<br>
work. That's because the potential implications apply to everyone. In<br>
light of that, I find it bizarre that you solicit "input" on your<br>
suggestion but then proceed to personally attack those who disagree,<br>
especially with arguments proceeding from standards.<br>
<div class="Ih2E3d"><br>
> Making many NAT questions drop off IRC and and the list. Making<br>
> administration and system deployments "Just Work".<br>
<br>
</div>More precisely, make administration and system deployments that are<br>
readily conceptualised in _your_ imagination and experience "just work."<br>
<br>
The behaviour you are suggesting would break any number of other<br>
scenarios common in the engineering of VoIP service delivery platforms.<br>
<br>
You are making a claim from the standpoint of someone who goes around<br>
installing phones that transact directly with an Asterisk PBX, and you<br>
are attempting to universalise your use case as though it were<br>
cosmologically significant. That is just one of the many scenarios in<br>
which SIP is used, and certainly only one of the manifold applications<br>
of Asterisk's SIP stack, in theory and in practice. What is important<br>
to phone installers isn't what matters to others.<br>
<br>
When recommending changes to standard behaviour, you have to argue in<br>
reasonable terms and contend with valid arguments rather than just<br>
dismissing them. I suppose we should be grateful that standards bodies<br>
for the most part consist of people considerably more judicious and<br>
insightful than that. <br></blockquote><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><br>
<br>
The RFC provides an architectural model for how SIP works, and if you're<br>
going to suggest changes to an implementation of that model, it's<br>
important to understand what the model actually is on a level of<br>
abstraction that may considerably surpass your narrowminded assumptions<br>
based on your own use. The world of SIP entails considerably more<br>
complexity than phones and PBXs.<br>
</blockquote><div><br>What is Asterisk designed to be? A PBX. (yes that is a period)<br> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<br>
-- Alex<br>
<font color="#888888"><br>
--<br>
</font><div class="Ih2E3d">Alex Balashov<br>
Evariste Systems<br>
Web : <a href="http://www.evaristesys.com/" target="_blank">http://www.evaristesys.com/</a><br>
Tel : (+1) (678) 954-0670<br>
Direct : (+1) (678) 954-0671<br>
Mobile : (+1) (706) 338-8599<br>
</div></blockquote><div><br>Yes, if I want to read a book, I do, this is a mailing list so I really didn't read much of what you said above, if you cannot get to the point in a few lines within a few paragraphs, you are wasting my time.... <br>
<br>Not sure why you feel like you need to correct me so badly or <br><br>Who I have attacked? I take exception to this statement. That is the only clarification I request from you, no book needed.<br><br>Sounds personal, let it go, it failed, but I washed my hands of it long ago.....<br>
</div></div><br>-- <br>Thanks,<br>Steve Totaro <br>+18887771888 (Toll Free)<br>+12409381212 (Cell)<br>+12024369784 (Skype)<br>