I was just reading an article in the New York Times entitled "Drumming Up   
   More Addresses on the Internet". It concerns the upcoming transition period   
   and switch from the current IPv4 standard to the IPv6 standard in order to   
   increase the number of available IP addresses on the Internet. As the   
   article explains, IPv6 -- or Internet Protocol, version 6 -- will be a whole   
   new ballgame, and there will be no trying to mix it with the current IPv4   
   standard, being as they are based on two very different IP address numbering   
   systems.   
      
   While many regular Internet users probably won't be directly affected by the   
   changeover from IPv4 to IPv6 -- because the changes will be under-the-hood --   
   and will go on surfing as if nothing has changed, personally, I suspect that   
   the upcoming conversion may prove to be a major headache for me personally.   
      
   This is because I run our own web server here, and unless I am mistaken, the   
   server software that I use only supports IPv4. The main problem is that my   
   web server software hasn't been developed or supported in almost six years   
   now. In fact, it was sold -- and then abandoned -- by the company which   
   purchased it from the original owner, because their whole intention in   
   purchasing the web server suite was to eliminate their competition by   
   phasing out the product once it had been purchased.   
      
   I just sent an email to the original owner and developer of the server suite   
   in order to get an answer straight from the horse's mouth regarding the   
   implementation of IPv6 in their software. I suspect that I already know how   
   they are going to respond.   
      
   On the bright side, even though it is now eleven years old, the machine on   
   which I run our web server does appear to be IPv6 compliant, thanks to a   
   forward-looking company. Can you guess which one it is?  :)   
      
   But again, once IPv6 is fully activated following the upcoming transition   
   period, I suspect that I am going to be forced to switch to different web   
   server software; and if I am forced to move to Apache -- since I've been a   
   dedicated Macintosh user since 1990, and Mac OS X is Unix-based -- it is   
   going to be a major headache and learning curve which I do not look forward   
   to. I am quite happy with the easy GUI interface of my current web server   
   software, and I really don't look forward to this change and the upcoming   
   challenge of having to wade through and understand Unix config files. There   
   is, of course, products such as iTools which supposedly make managing an   
   Apache server a lot easier, but I have read mixed reviews about that   
   software.   
      
   As I said, if you are just a regular web surfer, and don't run your own   
   server, then you won't have much to worry about, being as the software and   
   hardware companies will take care of everything for you behind-the-scenes.   
   However, depending on the age of your current cable modem or DSL modem, you   
   may possibly have to purchase a new one in order to be IPv6 compliant.   
      
      
      
   Jeff Snyder, SysOp - Armageddon BBS  Visit us at endtimeprophecy.org port 23   
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