Mapping Phones To IP Addresses

There's an interesting article currently running about the joys of mapping phone numbers to IP addresses, and what that means. Also talks about LDAP directory implementation and other potential fun interactions. (CT: Does anyone else think it's horribly stupid to map numbers onto names which map onto other numbers? Dumb da dumb dumb).

Comments

Busy Signal

[Anonymous Coward]

Every time I dial 127.0.0.1 it's busy!!!!

And 10.0.0.1 my call can not be completed as dialed!!!!!

But when I dial *.*.*.255 it's a party line!!!!

Transition

[Mike Schiraldi]

Does anyone else think it's horribly stupid to map numbers onto names which map onto other numbers? Dumb da dumb dumb

I don't see why it's dumb, so you're going to have to back up your argument with a little more than a song.

Having a transition system is critical in deploying a new technology or migrating people to it. (Microsoft understands this very well, but that's a topic for another day) People aren't going to just say "Well, there are telephones on the Internet. I guess i can throw out my old phone." It's the whole chicken-and-egg thing.

Or more accurately, the chicken-and-another-chicken thing. Think- who bought the first telephone? The first fax machine? Why is everyone sticking with ICQ and Napster when better alternatives exist?

Because there is no migration path. We need something like this so that the old phones can use the new system and the new phones can use the old system. It also allows hybrid phones to be made.

But to just sweep this away at first glance because "well, you're just translating from one number to another number" is .. i have to use the word ridiculous again.

I hope this doesn't get me branded "Flamebait", or worse, "Troll."

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