[Gllug] IPv6 and Freedom

[Walter Stanish]

There is a very interesting section entitled "An End to Openness" in a
short article on LWN by fellow Australian Geoff Huston, Chief
Scientist of APNIC, which is the largest RIR (regional internet
registry) in the world based on IPv4 address space assignments.

The short article covers the IPv4 address space exhaustion, the
problem of using NAT as a hold-over, commercial disinterest in IPv6
promotion, and the relatively urgency of recognising the subtler side
of the issue .... that of freedom.
 http://lwn.net/Articles/424696/

To quote: "the future looks dark. The longer we toy with disaster, the
more likely it is that the real loser will be openness. It is not at
all obvious that we'll continue to have an open net in the future."
... "the worst possible outcome. We all have to get out there, get
moving, and fix this problem".

At least in my view, as technically inclined internet users with the
knowledge and capacity, everyone on this list has a responsibility to
at least try to push their organisations to IPv6.


On a somewhat more positive note, in recent research in to IPv6 for my
organisation I was very impressed to come across a very interesting
IETF working group known as MANET for IPv6, or 'Mobile Ad Hoc
Networking'.

With respect to this list, the technology could assist people to make
the transition from today's centralised, corporate-run mobile networks
to personal network ownership, in many scenarios.

Under MANET, (probably mostly mobile) devices are able to link
together to provide battery-efficient, peer to peer wireless routing
infrastructure across disparate wireless technologies and other link
types.

Deployment scenario #1: MANET in protests vs. Egyptian government
blackout. The scenario is somewhat parallel to the US (and allied)
militaries' proposed connected-warrior visions ... which have been
under active development since at least the late '90s.
Deployment scenario #2: MANET + flashmob... probably some fun to be had!
Deployment scenario #3: Anonymous service provision on mass transit...
direct from your mobile device...
Deployment scenario #4: MANET + electronically managed dance parties
(or gyms, etc.)... combining physical sensors with transparent
wireless voting on audio and visual manipulation.

In short, IPv6 and MANET should help to not only preserve but bolster
internet and communicative freedoms, plus enable some cool art
projects!

The good news is that the cat's out of the bag: Linux will have
support, and the proliferation of Android smartphones and hardware
manufacturers combined with our ability to reflash them with improved
firmware means that implementation cannot be prevented.

OK ... back to research :)

- Walter
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