Opinion (was Sometimes it doesn't pay to be Mr. DNS )

[Martin McCormick]

	I am changing the subject a bit to mention something that
doesn't effect many on the list but speaks well for the wonderful
design of the ISC dns and dhcp servers.

	As one of an unknown number of people around the world who use
computers and who are blind, I use a speech synthesizer to read the
screen.  This used to work very well and still can do so with proper
design.  I am thankful that, up to now, neither the ISC dns or the ISC
dhcp servers require a GUI to manage them.

	GUI's aren't in and of themselves bad.  What's bad is to
assume that every living soul wants to or is technically able to use a
specific type of I/O.  When problems are later found, it is too late
and the fixes are expensive and awkward and drive strong men and women
to drink, swear, and kick their dogs.:-)

	I am glad that the dhcp and dns engines have stayed true to
basic UNIX principles.  There is nothing to preclude someone's
developing a GUI front end that talks to these engines, but I hope it
is never a requirement to have it if one doesn't want it.  People who
are blind can and do use Windows-equipped computers every day, but the
expense of the software plus the constant technical difficulties
incurred with trying to force poorly-designed software to do things it
wasn't designed to do is the last thing any of us really want if we
can help it.  It's nice to sometimes use our computers rather than
constantly fight them.

	Thanks again to all in the ISC for a fantastic job.

Martin McCormick WB5AGZ  Stillwater, OK 
OSU Center for Computing and Information Services Data Communications Group