IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - January/February 2024 - 7

because they do not have inherent meaning.
That gives the users the ability to define their
meaning just as the Internet packets allow us to
use a common infrastructure for visiting websites,
carrying on voice conversations, streaming
and, again, so much more.
Having Forever URLs is a key part of the next
stage of the Internet-one in which we assume
peer links between devices without having to
" access " the Internet as such. We can also look
beyond the DNS for managing the GUIDs but that
is a large topic in itself.
Just think of being able to visit your doctor's
office and getting a glucose monitor that works
in the office, while you are on the bus on the way
home and while you are at home with no setup,
no need for a smartphone or an account. It just
works everywhere. Forever URLs coupled with a
public packet infrastructure can make this happen
seamlessly. That delivers on the promise of
the Internet and can have a dramatic impact on
people's quality of life.
WHAT ARE WE WAITING FOR?
A key element of this approach is that it
uses theexistingDNS as is. This means the
transition can occur as users see benefits
rather than having it forced them and without
having to wait for the tooling. It is about policies
based on recognizing the importance of a
DNS that provides a mechanism for stable
relationships and one that shifts human factors
(such as meaning) outside of the infrastructure,
just as the Internet moved us from
smart networks to smart devices.
The Forever URL provides an opportunity
for a more stable Internet and the ability to
innovate beyond the web. Using unique identifiers
for linkage is a fundamental concept in
computer science and, for that matter, in
building any system. Why are we still using a
system more suitable for small workgroups
than a global Internet?
Forever URLs provide a stable foundation
for the evolving role of URLs. Search results
will stay valid. New directory services can help
people find business. People can manage their
visibility in those directories and synchronize
them with personal address books. The relationships
between connected devices can be
built on standard protocols.
We have a choice-will the future Rosetta
Stone be written in granite, or will it be written
in sand that washes away in a year?
CONCLUSION
Forever URLs present a forward-thinking
approach to web addressing. By leveraging the
strengths of GUIDs, we can enhance the security,
flexibility, and resilience of web addressing,
ensuring that our web content remains accessible,
now and forever.
Bob Frankston addresses the issues associated
with coming to terms with a world being transformed
by software. He is best known for writing VisiCalc-
the first electronic spreadsheet. While at Microsoft,
he was instrumental in enabling home networking.
Contact him at IEEECEMagazine@bob.ma.
January/February 2024
7
IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - January/February 2024

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