The problem with IPv6 is that it was not designed to be backwards-compatible with IPv4. Like a lot of systems designed by engineering tech-heads, the perfect is now the enemy of the good.

If IPv6 had been designed to be compatible with and inter-operate with the older standard, IPv6 adoption would’ve largely occurred already.

Yes, yes, I understand the current incompatibilities very well, but I am talking about when IPv6 was designed way back in 1996.

That would have given plenty of time for all routers, switches, operating systems and any other device to use the better, compatible standard.

It’s funny when I see people complain about IPv6 adoption being so slow, and I say, “Well, if the engineers of the standard had cared anything about compatibility, it wouldn’t have happened this way.”

And they say, “But IPv6 is not compatible with IPv4.”

And I say, “It could have been if it had been designed that way back in the 1990s.”

And then for some reason they say, “But IPv6 is not compatible!”

And I say, “I know that. But my point is that it could’ve been more transitional and been designed to be compatible, and still have been 128 bit, and saved us all this hassle.”

And then they say, “But it’s not compatible! It’s great like it is!”

And then I don’t say anything else because what’s the fucking point.