Network Working Group S. Crocker Request for Comments: 1776 CyberCash, Inc. Category: Informational 1 APRil 1995
The Address is the Message
Status of this Memo
This memo provides information for the Internet community. This memo does not specify an Internet standard of any kind. Distribution of this memo is unlimited.
Discussion
Declaring that the address is the message, the ipng WG has selected a packet format which includes 1696 bytes of address space. This length is a multiple of 53 and is completely compatible with ATM architecture. Observing that it's not what you know but who you know, the IPng focused on choosing an addressing scheme that makes it possible to talk to everyone while dispensing with the irrelevant overhead of actually having to say anything.
Security eXPerts hailed this as a major breakthrough. With no content left in the packets, all questions of confidentiality and integrity are moot. Intelligence and law enforcement agencies immediately refocused their efforts to detect who's talking to whom, and are silently thankful they can avoid divisive public debate about key escrow, export control and related matters.
Although the IPng WG declared there should be more than enough address space for everyone, service providers immediately began vying for reserved portions of the address space.
Security Considerations
Security issues are not discussed in this memo.
Author's Address
Steve Crocker CyberCash, Inc. 2086 Hunters Crest Way Vienna, VA 22181
