âReflection MCP is a f#@$%ng protocol. Why people get so crazy about it? How much is hype and how much is real technological advance? I mean it is no different from HTTP. That was also a really good solution back in the 90's, but it didnât get all this attention. Even if it actually open a new era. So why people get all "WOW!" for a simple protocol?â
That blunt observation captures the paradox around Reflection MCP. On paper, itâs just another protocol. In practice, itâs being hyped as the âTCP/IP of AI.â
Protocols Donât Deserve Hype⌠Until They Do
Protocols are boring by design. Theyâre thin contracts: rules for how two parties exchange messages. TCP/IP, SMTP, HTTP â each defined simple, universal handshakes that enabled complex ecosystems.
But hereâs the catch: nobody hyped HTTP in 1993. There were no Twitter threads about âdistributed hypertext APIs changing the world.â HTTP became world-defining infrastructure by being invisible, open, and boring.
MCP is being treated differently. Itâs protocol as product.
The Nature of Protocols: Invisible but Foundational
Think about the internet stack:
- TCP/IP standardized packet switching.
- SMTP standardized email.
- HTTP standardized the web.
All are minimal, all are composable. Their superpower is not marketing; itâs universality. A good protocol succeeds when it disappears. You donât tweet about TCP; you just use it.
Thatâs the historical pattern. Until now.
The MCP Frenzy
So why is MCP blowing up? Three reasons:
Branding and Narrative
OpenAI and Anthropic are marketing MCP as the universal API for AI agents. This creates the illusion of inevitability. Developers and VCs want to align early with the âfuture HTTP of AI.âProtocol as Product
Unlike HTTP, which came from CERN and was unbranded, MCP has corporate ownership and storytelling. Itâs being hyped as a product line, not just invisible plumbing.The Hype Feedback Loop
Influencers, investors, and early adopters amplify the narrative because it signals being on the edge. Every LinkedIn thread comparing MCP to TCP/IP pumps the hype cycle.
Technical Core: What MCP Actually Is
Strip away the noise, hereâs what MCP brings:
Agent-to-Tool Interoperability
Todayâs AI ecosystem is fragmented: LangChain, LlamaIndex, Semantic Kernel, custom APIs. MCP defines a clean handshake and message-passing system so agents, tools, and models can talk.Security Model Baked In
HTTP started wide open. MCP builds permissions, tool contracts, and controlled execution in from the start. Given LLMs can execute arbitrary tool calls, thatâs critical.Cross-Vendor Alignment
With OpenAI and Anthropic on board, MCP has early momentum. If others follow (Meta, Hugging Face, Cohere), MCP could become universal.
HTTP vs MCP: Side by Side
Feature | HTTP (1990s) | MCP (2020s) |
---|---|---|
Origin | CERN, open standard, no corporate owner | OpenAI + Anthropic (corporate branded) |
Message Style | Request/Response, verbs (GET, POST) | JSON-RPC style, tool contracts, permissions |
Security | None initially (SSL later) | Built-in permissions, sandboxed execution |
Adoption Path | Browsers + servers drove it | AI ecosystems + vendors drive it |
Narrative | Invisible infrastructure | Marketed as âthe HTTP of AIâ |
The real technical leap isnât that MCP is smarter than HTTP. Itâs that it bakes safety and contracts into the first draft.
Why This Is Real Progress
- Standardized Interop: A chance to avoid todayâs chaos of fragmented tool APIs.
- Safety First: Built-in guardrails matter when LLMs are executing actions.
- Potential Universality: If vendors align, MCP could be the glue across AI ecosystems.
Why This Is Half Bullshit
- Adoption Risk: If it stays OpenAI/Anthropic-only, it dies like SOAP.
- Premature Standardization: Overfitting to current models may age badly.
- Protocol as Product: Protocols should be boring. Hype corrodes trust.
This is where the comparison to HTTP matters: HTTP didnât need hype. It just worked and spread.
Historical Counterpoint: HTTPâs Quiet Rise
HTTP emerged quietly. No one tried to control its narrative. CERN gave it away. Netscape and Mosaic built on it. The ecosystem grew organically.
Contrast that with MCP: trillion-dollar companies, megaphones, and orchestrated narratives. Itâs not the tech alone; itâs corporate will.
Lessons for Developers
Donât Worship Protocols
Theyâre plumbing. Respect them, but donât mistake them for the house.Wait for Adoption
Bet lightly until multiple vendors commit.Focus on Higher Layers
The real action isnât in the pipes itâs in reasoning, orchestration, and memory.
Closing: 50% Hype, 50% Legit
- Real: Standardized interop, safety baked in, multi-vendor potential.
- Hype: Corporate branding, premature standardization, influencer echo chambers.
If MCP sticks, it might become the HTTP of AI. But remember: HTTP became infrastructure because it was boring and open. MCP is being treated as product, not plumbing.
Developers should build as if MCP may succeed â but design as if it may fail. That means focusing on reasoning, orchestration, and modular cognition.
Because in the end, protocols are pipes. Intelligence flows above them.
Authorâs note: This piece was inspired by ongoing OrKa development and traces exploring multi-agent reasoning. For more on OrKa, visit orkacore.com.
Top comments (2)
hahahaha This is fun! Smart observations!
I'm happy you enjoyed it! I was mostly me complaining with another AI related hype. But is really interesting how people get on WOW for a simple handshake between services!
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