small vent

Mon Jun 29 00:27:17 UTC 1998

Hi,

>> "David R. Conrad" writes:
>> >b) someone has dummied up a prefix in a mail header or something (typical)
>> >c) there is a bug in the database software (happens)
>What about d).  Perhaps someone temporarily announced routes for
>unallocated space, setup a mail/spam server in that IP space, sent out
>their mail, and stopped exporting the route.

Actually, that was "a", what I call prefix theft.  I figure it is becoming
more and more common, and I know of at least one case where it was an
actual policy of a large network.

<CYNICAL>
However, this isn't a problem anymore given we have not one, but two
proposals on how to authenticate routing announcments.  All the rest is
just a small matter of programming.
</CYNICAL>

As an aside, it always amazes me that the Internet even works (particularly
for an infrastructure that the unwashed masses seems to think will replace
the existing telephone network), but I guess the same could be said of any
chaotic (in the non-linear sense) system...

Regards,
-drc