Why are standards important?

This question can be answered in both a generalized fashion as well as specific to Internet standards with the same response. As stated in the text, in order for people in general and Internet users specifically to communicate effectively with one another, initial inquiries from one side must be formed in such a way that the intended receiver has the abilities to interpret the original message. This idea illustrates why subjective matters such as language, measurement, and indeed the Internet require standards so as to ensure meaningful transfers of information, ideas, etc. Without standards such as verb conjugation or the consistent definition of a gallon, I would be typing in wingdings and probably would have paid a couple thousand gooshles to fill my car with fuel.

Why was the ISOC formed?

The Internet Society (ISOC) was founded as an overarching nongovernmental not-for-profit organization with legal and financial intentions. As the Internet was developing over the past couple decades, private standardizing boards such as the Internet Architecture Board (IAB) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) sprouted in order to facilitate a relatively smooth learning curve with the Internet. However, these groups did not have the necessary authority to enforce proposed standards. Thus, the ISOC was created, acting as a “legal umbrella” of sorts, and also providing financial support to the affiliated standards boards.

Define the term “domain name”

A domain is the complete collection of networks under the scope of an organization’s control. The idea was originally used as an easy way to resolve names (the host name) to numbers (the host IP address), since most internet audiences would be unlikely to remember the 12-digit number which represents yahoo.com’s IP address. A domain name reads right to left, and is more specific in naming a computer as you move from right to left. “.com” for example describes a “top-level” domain. “google.com” defines a specific host or network within the “.com” realm. In this case, it happens to be Google’s networks. The “www” was originally added to identify a web server in an organization’s network, and “www” was actually the computer’s host name – a naming practice which has become standard, although today, domain name systems utilize aliases such that the “www” is rarely necessary (try visiting “google.com” instead of “www.google.com.” Domains allow organizations also to segment networks into sub-portions, known as sub-domains. An example might include “terry.uga.edu” which is a sub-division of UGA.

Finally, in the growing e-commerce market, domain-names can be quite a commodity. In establishing an ecommerce presence, name recognition is crucial, and a domain name which matches the business name is important in order for visitors to recognize the company. Since domain names must be unique, you can see how early in the dot-com craze, ownership of a particular name might be very valuable.

Define S-HTTP and SSL. Are they compatible?

S-HTTP: developed to transmit individual messages in a secure fashion using a complex algorithm to encrypt individual messages and produce digital signatures

SSL: encrypts the entire communication channel rather than each individual message. Thus, SSL cannot produce digital signatures as S-HTTP can.

Moreover, because of the complete communication channel encryption by SSL, these two security functions cannot be counted on for double security through combination.

How is it that some of the Internet standard-setting bodies existed before the Internet was even conceived?

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) was founded in 1918, long before the World Wide Web, and certainly before any dream of global communications at the touch of a button. While this group may be seen as outdated given the astronomical advances in technology (we landed on the moon!), the primary goal of the institute, namely the enhancement of global competitiveness of United States businesses through promotion and facilitation of voluntary consensus standards, remains aptly positioned to achieve objectives in the age of the Internet. This example once again illustrates the necessity of standards when dealing with ever-changing communication mediums.

How does the IPv6 differ from the IPv4 protocol?

The IPv4 classification of IP addresses is still currently in use, for we as Internet users have yet to exhaust the 32 bits that the relatively dated classification uses. Under the IPv4 protocol of 32 bits, there are a limited number of unique addresses for users to work under. Thus, the IETF has chosen the IPv6 as the next standard protocol, for it uses a 128-bit address rather than the current 32-bit address. This address expansion will soon be necessary as the number of Internet users grows at an astounding rate. In addition to the added capacity, the IPv6 protocol also brings such enhancements as more optimal processing, simplified autoconfiguration, and more streamlined standard features to the table.

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