Re: Please stop this thread (was: OFFTOPIC: DNSSEC groupthink versus improving DNS)

[Matt Larson <[e-mail]>]

On Fri, 08 Aug 2008, Andrew Sullivan wrote:
> Moreover, arguments that individuals are suffering from group-think
> runs perilously close to the line of _ad hominem_ attack.  We have had
> problems with that sort of discussion in the past, and I want to
> remind everyone that we will not tolerate such attacks.  If you have a
> problem with the protocol, feel free to discuss it here.  If you
> instead have a problem just with what other people believe, then this
> is not the right forum for your discussion.

I wasn't going to jump into this thread, but I can't let this message
pass without comment.

Your message prompted me to re-read Bert's original "group-think"
message and I find nothing inappropriate about it.  It was certainly
not "perilously close to the line of _ad hominem_ attack", nor was it
an attack at all.  I'd argue it was even on-topic, in that it
questions if we're all doing the best engineering we can.

How big is the worldwide DNS protocol engineering community?
Certainly no more than hundreds of people.  We have been breathing our
own DNSSEC exhaust fumes for a long time.  Personally, I find it
refreshing for someone with demonstrated clue to come in and politely
question things.

I've seen several creative proposals to deal with the recently
described cache-poisoning attacks and the urgency will spur further
creative thinking.  A hop-by-hop solution of adding more entropy would
go a long way to addressing this attack.  The lack of will I have
perceived recently in this working group to pursue non-DNSSEC
solutions frustrates me.  A lot of us have a lot invested in DNSSEC,
but shame on us as engineers if this is the only hammer in our toolbox
and we use it to hit every nail.

So I join Bert in asking everyone to keep an open mind, think
critically and keep engineering.

Matt

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