Re: DIME Use Case?

Mitch Denny <[email protected]> writes:
> ER> Many DIME implementations will also implement MIME, in
> ER> which case even a very simple DIME represents additional
> ER> implementation complexity over MIME.
>
> Not necessarily true, there is not a functional link between
> the two mechanisms. Where MIME finds itself mainly in use
> in SMTP, NNTP and HTTP communications, DIME is enabled for
> use in a more direct manner (on the wire).
I don't know what you mean by "on the wire". DIME appears to me
to be an encapsulation format, not a protocol per se. As far as I
can tell it will have to be carried by some other protocol
(like HTTP).

> Simplicity is king. I still get dizzy reading the MIME spec
> whereas DIME functionality is really achieved by some simple
> bit flipping.
It's very often the case that it initially appears simpler to create a
brand new spec for something, but that one quickly finds that the
complexity in the spec you're replacing is there for a reason,
especially when you try to cover a space slightly larger than your
initial design space.

> At the moment I think the Internet is going through a bit
> of a transformation in terms of what it can deliver to its
> audience. During this time there is destined to be a whole
> raft of new ideas/technologies put on the table.
That's fine, but these technologies should do new things
that our current protocols cannot do, not duplicate existing
functionality.

> Security issues
> will be ironed out,
This isn't a very satisfying answer. A large part of the security
mess we're in now is because people thought, "we'll just design
protocols and tack security on later".

-Ekr