James Troup <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > > The point is that every single TCP/IP client that is in existance now > > or ever will be has a free server available: netcat. This renders > > other distinctions meaningless, I think. > > Oh, purlease. This is sophistry. When talking about common every day > usage of a client like TiK; now using netcat as a server might sound > c00l, 3l33t and funny on IRC, but how useful is it in real life? It's > not.
The point is that it's possible. You *can* use TiK with only free software. As I mentioned, I frequently use something like netcat for testing. I may impersonate an SMTP client when testing mail server setup, or impersonate an SMTP server when testing mailing software setup. The point that I've been trying to make this whole time is that what is on the other end of the TCP connection is irrelevant as far as your software is considered. There is no way from a software point of view to know what's over there, and in fact unless you installed it yourself, even as a user there's no way to know for sure what's over there. This is one of the many beauties of our layered TCP/IP model: things operate at a level that is independant of what lies on either end. This is why we have so many different web browsers that talk to so many different web servers, for instance. Debating usefulness is pointless. Who are you to say what is useful for me? We have already discussed this issue, and as I recall, you agreed that what's useful for me may not be for you. For me, using netcat as a SMTP server is useful. Perhaps I'm the only person on this list or the only developer in this project for which that is true. Fine, so be it. But that doesn't mean that netcat as a SMTP server is devoid of use. It means simply that your needs are different than mine. I do not try to force my needs on you; please reciprocate in kind. -- John -- John Goerzen Linux, Unix consulting & programming [EMAIL PROTECTED] | Developer, Debian GNU/Linux (Free powerful OS upgrade) www.debian.org | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ The 91,988,152nd prime number is 1,866,688,973.
