I agree! Why create a finite anything when an infinite
possibility exists?
Exactly. If you designed an open-ended protocol, you're far less likely to
ever have to rewrite it.
On another note, I have heard the argument that
a unique identifier already exists in the form of
a MAC address why not make further use of it?
Not every machine on the Internet has an Ethernet card with a MAC address,
otherwise it might not be such a bad idea. I think using the MAC address is
an excellent idea for software protection schemes (it's a lot more elegant
than a hardware key such as a dongle), but nobody seems interested in that.
In any case, this latter application is outside the scope of Internet
discussions.
-- Anthony