{"id":37439,"date":"2009-11-06T11:27:03","date_gmt":"2009-11-06T16:27:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.crunchgear.com\/?p=122734"},"modified":"2009-11-06T11:27:03","modified_gmt":"2009-11-06T16:27:03","slug":"what%e2%80%99s-your-favorite-protocol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/37439","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s YOUR favorite protocol?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"c3po\"
\nYesterday’s trip down memory lane with the Gopher protocol<\/a> got me thinking about all the other protocols I used to use, and those that I continue to use on a regular basis. There’s little doubt that hypertext transfer protocol<\/a> (HTTP) is one of the most widely used protocols on the Internet today. But there are a host of other protocols used every day! Let’s look at a few of my current favorites, and some that have gone the way of the Dodo bird.<\/p>\n

Before I get started, I think we should break out protocols that one uses intentionally<\/em>, and those ancillary protocols that get used in the normal execution of your other protocols. For example, every time I visit a web page I intentionally use the HTTP protocol. But unless I’m manually keying in IP addresses, there’s an awful lot of DNS traffic taking place, too. I don’t intentionally use the DNS protocol: it happens behind the scenes as I’m using my web browser. So with that out of the way, here are the protocols I intentionally choose to use on a regular basis:<\/p>\n

HTTP<\/strong>
\nNo surprise here. I write for CrunchGear, so I use HTTP (TCP port 80) to access the WordPress back-end to compose stories. I visit product web pages. I watch videos at YouTube and Hulu. I compose email at GMail. HTTP is the king of protocols.<\/p>\n

SSH<\/strong>
\nAs a systems administrator, I use the Secure Shell<\/a> protocol (TCP port 22) daily to access the variety of Linux systems I maintain. Whether for my day job, or my personal web server, I’d be dead in the water without SSH. I also use SSH as a SOCKS proxy<\/a> so that I can access a variety of resources using my home IP address. This is particularly useful when I’m using an untrusted wireless network: the link from my laptop to my proxy server is encrypted, shielding my traffic from anyone snooping that wireless network.<\/p>\n

IRC<\/strong>
\nI use Internet Relay Chat<\/a> to communicate and collaborate on a number of projects. It’s also a terrific way to get ad hoc support on open source programs that I use. I’m usually idling in one or two channels. I prefer IRC over IM, usually, but can’t really give a good explanation as to why.<\/p>\n

X<\/strong>
\nAs a Linux user, I use the X Window protocol<\/a> all the time. Sometimes it’s to display applications running on my local machine; and sometimes it’s to display applications running from one of the server I maintain.<\/p>\n

Some of the lesser used, but still important, protocols I use include<\/p>\n