Re: [idn] UTF-8 / RACE

["Eric A. Hall" <ehall@ehsco.com>]

> Some people seem to be arguing that using ACE requires no less (or
> even more) upgrading of software than using UTF-8 without ACE.

Some of us are arguing the cost of UTF8-with-ACE is only slightly greater
than the cost of ACE-only.

Some of us are also arguing that the cost of ACE-now-UTF8-later is 2x the
cost of UTF8-with-ACE.

> ACE affords incremental deployment much better than no-ACE.

ACE is analogous to dipping your toe into the kiddie pool. Even if you
find out that the water is comfortable, you won't be able to thoroughly
enjoy it.

The international user community doesn't end at email and web. Think about
the end-user networks out there with admins who are struggling with
ASCII-based DHCP, lpd, and just about everything else that ACE doesn't
help with. Worse, it makes embracing IDNS more difficult for them, since
they have to go from using ASCII to a highly cryptic naming service that
is outright user-hostile. It is highly unlikely that those services will
ever be fixed until a UTF8 form is developed by us, embraced by the WG,
and coded by the vendor community.

ACE is transitional, not a destination. The cost and time of getting to
the real destination can be shortened by embracing it early.

-- 
Eric A. Hall                                        http://www.ehsco.com/
Internet Core Protocols          http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/coreprot/