New topic, name domains vs. IFIP "user-friendly" non-domain names

[Robert Elton Maas]

In-Reply-To:deepthot!jul...@seismo.ARPA
Perhaps we shouldn't think in terms of a dichotomy between addresses
and routes, nor even a trichotomy between names addresses and routes,
but rather in terms of a whole continuem of names&addresses&routes from
the most verbose nieve database query (even more verbose and/or sloppy
than the IFIP proposal) to the most momentarily-optimum route. We can
then think of a whole series of resolvers at each stage in this
continuum, some of which are sticky (the answer is cached, like you
jot down the phone number so you don't have to call 411 or 555-1212
again for the same number) while others are dynamic (it doesn't do
much good to remember which IMP a packet passed through since due to
varying loads the next packet may find that IMP constipated and take a
more efficient route that avoids that IMP). Even stickiness may be a
contimuum. Phone numbers change once every several years. Hops on
USENET change every few weeks. Hops between Arpanet IMPs change on a
minute by minute basis. Perhaps everything can be sticky for some time
period, then recomputed after that?

General database query: somebody who is interested in space
exploration and has futuristic views, who has access to electronic mail.

Unstructured name: Jerry Pournelle, science-fiction writer.

IFIP name: Name=(Pournelle, Jerry), Country=USA, State=MA,
City=Boston/Cambridge, Company=MIT, Dept=MC.

Domain name: POU...@MC.MIT.ARPA.DOD.USA

Host address: ARPA 10.3.0.44 POURNE

Possible route from here: DIALUP:(<secret phone number>, Bell212,
<secret login JCL>, PCNET), USER#10.0.0.11 IMP#11,56,43,32,2,
21,34,4,25,24,12,55,47,14,18,10,44 SERVER#10.3.0.44 RCPT:POURNE
(Sorry of those hops are out of date, I have 1980 Arpanet directory)