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Wow, this Bill Simpson person does not sound like a nice person, nor a smart one...

• tptacek 10y ago
  Here is the problem: Bill Simpson is actually very smart, and well-respected. But IETF-land is an alternative universe that strongly prefers its own norms and processes above any other influences. People get involved in standards work and build social capital within IETF working groups, and feel threatened by and dismissive of outsiders. This happens with, I think, all standards groups. The irony is that the IETF was created in part as a reaction to these standards group pathologies. But they're too powerful to resist.
  • api 10y ago
    ... and now we know why most network protocols are over engineered junk.
• EvanAnderson 10y ago
  Reading the exchange between Ron Rivest and Perry Metzcar here[1] is almost painful. Bill Simpson has a post near the end and it seems in character for the "anyone who was good at Unix, and standard-issue bloody-mindedness." observation that tptacek made. [1] http://theory.csail.mit.edu/ftp-data/pub/ftp/people/rivest/ipsec/mail http://theory.csail.mit.edu/ftp-data/pub/ftp/people/rivest/i...