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About this quote

What does it mean?
The author compares internet fragmentation to early classful addressing as an initial design error showing experimentation during IP development.
In plain terms
Fragmentation is an old design mistake that happened during early internet testing.
What can you take from it?
Early internet design choices show a history of trial and error.

Where it applies

  • network engineering
  • protocol analysis

Putting it to work

  • studying network protocols
  • understanding legacy systems

Questions to consider

  • How do legacy systems shape current infrastructure?
  • What can engineers learn from past design errors?

Another view

Some design choices were necessary trade-offs given constraints of the time.

More from Paul Vixie

  1. 'The Internet is not for sissies.' (1994)

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  2. 'You sound like a man with a vision. Care to pass that bong over this way?' (2004)

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  3. 'The internet has no government, no constitution, no laws, no rights, no police, no courts. Don't talk about fairness or innocence, and don't talk about what s…

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