[NNTP] Consensus?

[Ken Murchison]

Clive D.W. Feather wrote:

> Russ Allbery said:
> 
>>>Personally I would like the wording changed to require (a MUST) 32 bit
>>>support and suggest (a SHOULD) 64 bit support.
>>
>>That's two people supporting that option.  What does everyone else think
>>about that?
> 
> 
> I seriously don't like it.
> 
> It doesn't represent current practice, which is what we're supposed to be
> documenting.

True, but it sounds like current practice is all over the place (2^31, 
2^32, 2^64), so we need to standardize on something.  Standardizing on 
something that we *know* will break in a few years doesn't seem like the 
best move when there is a relatively simple solution which will push the 
problem out far enough where most, if not all, of us on this list won't 
have to worry about it.  ;)


> It introduces an interoperability issue. What happens if the server
> supports the SHOULD and the client doesn't?

Then the client chokes and can't read the group.  They are no worse off 
then if the server supports your BIGNUM strawman (which I like BTW) and 
the client doesn't.  The bottom line is that if we recommend 2^64 in 
this spec, it gives client authors at *least* two years to upgrade the 
code.  If they don't upgrade (to 2^64 OR BIGNUM) by the time article 
numbers on servers exceed 2^32, I'd consider the clients horribly broken.


> What are the proponents of this proposal actually suggesting for the
> wording?

You must have missed my post on this:

http://lists.eyrie.org/pipermail/ietf-nntp/2005-July/001612.html

We could also add text that states that 2^64-1 will most likely become 
mandatory in a future version of the spec.

Having said all of this, if we can't reach a consensus on 2^64 
relatively quickly, then lets just go with 2^32 and be done with it.  I 
don't really like the idea of catering to 2^31 implementations.

-- 
Kenneth Murchison     Oceana Matrix Ltd.
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