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Re: (IMPORTANT) Call for AH-MD5 and ESP-DES to move forward
> > As a general note: if we can't modify the standards during the
> > standarization process why do we have that process in place.
>
> We can alter what is standard. However, it is often bad to alter what
> already exists. When SMTP got revised, an extensions mechanism was
> created -- existing SMTPs weren't broken. Sometime soon it will be
> required that SMTP implementations support ESMTP, but it will
> doubtless be a long while before ESMTP is totally universal, if
> ever.
But, in my understanding IPSEC does not "exist" yet in the same sense
as SMTP did. It does not yet have a wide user base, just a few small
groups using various implementations. I think it is probably early
enough to simply change the spec if it is otherwise justified.
(It may not be a bad idea to change the protocol number though if
confusion is likely.)
Tatu