Re: [dnsext] loads of TXT records for fun and profit

In message <E5E3F801-6490-48A8-A12F-A6561893D78A@icsi.berkeley.edu>, Nicholas Weaver writes:
> 
> On May 3, 2013, at 4:42 AM, Phillip Hallam-Baker <hallam@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> > It is not just stupid to further overload TXT, it is impossible.
> > 
> > The SPF group knew when they were doing the draft that they were essentially making any other use of the 
> > TXT record infeasible in the future. Or at least I pointed that out.
> 
> No its not, its trivial to further overload the text record.  All you have to do is make sure YOUR strings 
> don't start with the same magic string, and/or are located in a different convention in the DNS hierarchy, 
> as SPF records.

As well as whatever anyone else is doing with TXT records.

> And given the silly resistance amongst some in this group to tolerate allocating new RR types (look at the 
> debate over the entirely sensible EUI48 and EUI64 RTYPEs), and the annoyance of getting authority software 
> to allow one to provision new RTYPEs in an easily readable form [1],

Yet there was code shipped that supported EUI48 and EUI64 before the first
word of complaint was raised.

> it makes perfect sense for developers 
> who want to shove something into DNS to skip the whole IETF crap, create a convention, and shove things eit
> her in A-records (like the RBLs have done) or TXT records.
>
> [1] Yes, you can specify it as:
> 
> >       The special token \# (a backslash immediately followed by a hash
> >       sign), which identifies the RDATA as having the generic encoding
> >       defined herein rather than a traditional type-specific encoding.
> > 
> >       An unsigned decimal integer specifying the RDATA length in octets.
> > 
> >       Zero or more words of hexadecimal data encoding the actual RDATA
> >       field, each containing an even number of hexadecimal digits.
> 
> But lets face it, thats a PITA compared to going "MYTYPE: this is my record" as one string in a TXT record.

Or you could write a tool that uses the existing resolver libraries
to dynamically load the records.  You don't have to wait for
nameserver developer to update nameservers or registrars to update
web forms to use new types.

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Mark Andrews, ISC
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