Subject: A Plea for Restraint

From: Sam Weiler <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 01:20:04 -0500 (EST)

I want to see DNSSEC deployed in 2003.

In recent days, several respectable people have suggested "minor"
changes to the DNSSEC resource records, seeing the type code roll
proposed in my draft as an opportunity to clean up past mistakes.

All of these changes, every single one, are good ideas.  All should
have been made years ago.  I want to see most of them made now.

Unfortunately, protocol changes, no matter the magnitude, tend to
cause delay.  The work is not solely in implementation -- we need to
do implementation and interoperability testing.  We need to make sure
we don't introduce more protocol bugs.  This takes workshops.  It
takes testbeds.  It takes time.  It takes money.  It requires the
ongoing patience of our sponsors and employers.

More importantly, exploration of these very sexy proposals will
distract attention from the less sexy details that still need to be
resolved before the protocol is done.  The dnssec-editors have asked
several questions that need our attention before the documents will be
done.  If we spend our time first on the additions, we won't get to
the nits as quickly, and we will further draw out the DNSSEC process.

I beg of everyone -- unless there's a showstopper to fix, let's bite
our tongues, work through the editors' questions quickly, and let the
imperfect protocol progress.

As for my draft, I still think it describes a showstopper barrier to
deployment, and I think the room agreed yesterday.  I will, however,
reissue the draft shortly with another possible resolution: do
nothing.  Just as I'm asking the WG to discard any proposal that is
not absolutely necessary, it should use the same criteria to judge
this one.

-- Sam

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