Did you know that today, June 6th, 2012, the Internet launched a newer better version of itself?  It sounds implausible, sensational even, and definitely parodic.  But it actually happened, and it took the efforts of several major Internet Service Providers and other Big Media sites to make it happen.

What’s different?

Mostly nothing, unless you are a computer, or a mega extreme nerd (don’t worry, we love you too).  What’s changed is the “address” that the sites and computers connect to the internet.  For 30 years, all of our addresses have looked something like “196.251.133.217”.  Computers and other networked devices read this and know exactly where to send data.  This protocol for digital communication is called Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4).  The new IP scheme is IPv6, this is what launched today. Continue reading →