Re: [PATCHES] Patch for UUID datatype (beta)

On Wed, 20 Sep 2006, Gregory Stark wrote:

>
> mark(at)mark(dot)mielke(dot)cc writes:
>
> > I have the impression I'm not being heard.
> >
> > *I* control the MAC address assignment for all of *MY* units.
>
> No, you're missing the point. How does that help *me* avoid collisions with
> your UUIDs? UUIDs are supposed to be unique period, not just unique on your
> database.

I must jump in with my amusement at this whole conversation. I just
looked up the standard (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4122.txt) and it
includes this abstract:

Abstract

This specification defines a Uniform Resource Name namespace for
UUIDs (Universally Unique IDentifier), also known as GUIDs (Globally
Unique IDentifier). A UUID is 128 bits long, and can guarantee
uniqueness across space and time. UUIDs were originally used in the
Apollo Network Computing System and later in the Open Software
Foundation's (OSF) Distributed Computing Environment (DCE), and then
in Microsoft Windows platforms.

It then goes on to detail multiple versions of them which are generated in
various ways. But they are all called UUID, and thus should all be
UNIVERSALLY unique, and the statement "can guarantee uniqueness across
space and time" should apply equally to all versions, as it is an absolute
statement. So perhaps the ietf have been drinking the kool-aid (or
whatever), or perhaps you plan to use your databases in multiple
universes. But the standard seems to make the whole discussion moot by
guaranteeing all UUIDs to be unique across space and time. Or am I
misreading that?

So I guess I am just ROFL at the fact that people can't seem to get their
definition of "universe" quite straight. Either the UUID is misnamed, or
some people here are vastly underestimating the scope of the universe, or
perhaps both. Or perhaps it's just that it's 3am and this thing seems
extraordiarily funny to me right now ;)

--
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A list of dishes which the restaurant has just run out of.