Academic (Honours program) - Dissertation Topic Choosing

bizjosh,

In my experience, I have learned it is usually better be be focused but not too focused. I wouldn't pick a topic like "Implementing IPv6", it's just too broad and you will never be able to cover everything you need to cover in order to sound like you actually dug deep into the topic. On the other hand I would also not pick something like "EFS on Windows XP: An Analysis" because it's too narrow and you will be left trying to explain every single thing about the topic just to fill space.

Take a broad topic you have an interest in (for example, IPSec) and then pick another broad topic you have an interest in (let's say wireless networking) and combine them for specific ideas ("Securing Wireless Communication using IPSec Tunneling"). Bad example I know, but you get what I mean? Broad Topic + Broad Topic = Specific Topic. You can even add a third topic for more focus. IPSec + Wireless Networks + WiMax = Secure Wireless Communication over Public Networks using IPSec Tunneling. In addition you could even pick one topic that has nothing to do with MIS or IT to make it real interesting: Application Hosting + WiMax + Modern Coporate Culture = "The Impact of Portable Business Applications and High Speed, High Availability Wireless Communication on the Modern Coproration: A Study". Just remember: the more original your application of the technologies discussed the better off you will be.

I hope this helps you make up your mind...

Why IPv6 will be a complete failure.

There is an excellent thesis statement.

The fight was about free Public IP Address Blocks and the manipulation of the boards of IANA, ICANN, IETF, etc., for the benefit of the telephone companies mostly, that still charges hundreds a year for a number.  2^64 IP Addresses, with scarcity thinking of the ancient days of broadcasting.

That is, if you have the ability to truly do honors work and expose this #1 fiasco at the respective boards.

From an Engineering point of view, it should be quite easy to tag the business types with exactly what they've oriented IPv6 for,  monopoly of the Internet itself.

And it will be a complete failure and will be replaced by something that assigns totally free blocks of IP Address space to individuals without cost.

The entire rest of the world is against its corporate taxology centricity brought about by private sector corporate invasion and control of the various boards, surreptitiously and subversively, I might add.

You have two choices; join the corps and sell your soul, join the public and preserve your honor.

anyone has comments on the IPV6 topic?

I will give an example of what I am currently designing:

http://www.Musics.com/manhtml/BIOS/SoundBlaster.html

It's about work on hardware design, but includes a great deal of leading edge design in 64-bit systems, which is what IPv6 was supposed to be, but isn't.

Down near the bottom, is the relevance to IPv6, which purports to use 128 bit busses.  When you pick an Honours Subject Thesis, you had better have the very best information there is, just to get the Honours Committee's attention for your innovative thesis research statement.

In short, you had better know what you're talking about and have practical applications for it.

If his interest is in TCP/IP, which includes all the minor stuff of crypto and the other sub elements listed, then the thesis should directly focus on the baiss of TCP/IP, which is Address Space in the Virtual Networking Environment.  You may have as a subtopic ":it's corruption and manipulation" but probably only in some commentary subsection.  The real thrust must provide innovative improvement in IP itself.

Honours is usually government and research; these two don't really care so much about bottom lines and profit as they do about working systems, usually Defense Systems.

Because Defense has all the money, business falls in line quickly with the Head of Research's requests to "do it" his way.  Otherwise, they may not get to share in the new technology, at least not until other companies have had a go at it.

Technical is not enough; one must weigh in economy with social benefits, and, believe me, Defense rests entirely on social benefits, not profits.

This is the mistake that the IPv6 team has made, they have reversed that order and that is why IPv6 will fail.

The work on the link shows exactly how bad assumptions by various manufacturers have led to a lot of unworkable systems, particularly in buss architecture and consequent "small timing errors" and other software failures.

It applies to Cisco's routers as well as to Intel and AMD architecture.  Cisco is crucial to routing of IPv6 and its success.  But if no one wants to use it, because it is "just another money hole," it will go the way of all moneypits.