Root Causes 481: What Is Protocol Ossification?

31/03/2025 11 min
Root Causes 481: What Is Protocol Ossification?

Listen "Root Causes 481: What Is Protocol Ossification?"

Episode Synopsis

Protocol ossification is the phenomenon whereby ecosystems fail to work correctly with the full range of options included in a protocol. This occurs when individual software components only partially support the capabilities that should be available. We define protocol ossification, explain how and why it occurs, give real world examples, and talk about potential remedies.