Creating demand for IPv6

Tue Oct 2 16:42:23 UTC 2007

On 10/2/07, Brian Raaen <braaen at zcorum.com> wrote:
> Actually, a
> better way to push IPv6 is make users want it and feel like they are missing
> out if they don't have it.  I campaign with some kind of slogan like 'got
> IPv6' or "I've got ultra high tech IPv6 for my internet and you don't" with a
> web url like www.getipv6.com (oops, some domain squatter already registered
> it).

Brian,

I offer you two words: Ford Edsel.

It doesn't matter how clever you make the marketing campaign if on
finding out what the product actually is the customers decide they
don't want it.

>         This all boils down to simple economics.... supply and demand.

As far as I can tell, IPv6 is at least theoretically capable of
offering exactly two things that IPv4 does not offer and can't easily
be made to offer:

1. More addresses.
2. Provider independent addresses

At the customer level, #1 has been thoroughly mitigated by NAT,
eliminating demand. Indeed, the lack of IPv6 NAT creates a negative
demand: folks used to NAT don't want to give it up.

This community (network operators) has refused to permit #2, even to
the extent that its present in IPv4, eliminating that source of demand
as well.

Regards,
Bill Herrin

-- 
William D. Herrin                  herrin at dirtside.com  bill at herrin.us
3005 Crane Dr.                        Web: <http://bill.herrin.us/>
Falls Church, VA 22042-3004