[arin-discuss] SPAM-WARN:Re: ARIN Fee discussion

[Jeremy Anthony Kinsey]

On Oct 9, 2007, at 1:27 PM, David Muir Sharnoff wrote:

> * I can only remind you all that ARIN is a bottom-up organization,  
> not a top
> * down one.  There is no class of members who are victims, only  
> classes of
> * members who fail to participate.
>
> The cost of meaningfull participation in ARIN exceeds one year's  
> tithe.
>
> Until this discussion came along, it seemed the only meaningful way
> to participate in ARIN was to go to one of the ARIN meetings or to
> run for one of ARINs director slots.  For most of us, attending one
> of the ARIN meetings would cost more than just paying the yearly
> fee.  The most we could hope to gain by participating is less than
> the cost of participating.  Generally, only organizations big enough
> to absorb the costs of participating actually participate.  That
> usually ends up being the same thing as top-down.

I agree completely, hence one of the reasons I felt compelled to run  
for a position on the board.  It is very difficult to actively  
participate in policy that I am not involved in on a daily basis.   
It's not like all of us sit around reading the ARIN web site daily...  
I am sure many of us have more time consuming areas of importance in  
our daily work lives.. That said, it is rather easy to be uninformed  
or ignorant to goings on...  I'm sure there are a great many people  
who don't even care to participate in the discussion.. After all,  
once you have what you need, you just pay a fee each year and what  
else do you really need from ARIN?  The low participation rate is  
evidenced by the number of people on this discussion list actually  
took the time to write "unsubscribe" and send it back to the list...   
That in and of itself is a bit disturbing, given the technical nature  
of many on this list.

Many do not realize that ARIN is from the bottom-up, and as such,  
fail to participate.
>
> Every year, I read of the list of candidates and look for one that
> has a statement saying something like: "The fees are too high and I  
> will
> lower them" or "the fees are disproportionate and I will make the
> large users pay more."   So far there has been no such candidate.

Actually I ran last time around, and that is one of the things I said  
I would like to be a part of doing, ie., lowering fees.
>
> The only other thing that ARIN could do to make my life easier would
> be to publish a better rwhois daemon or an easier API for changing
> SWIP/POC delegations.

I will have to admit while the SWIP/POC is a PITA, and archaic, by  
modern standards... it is still quite reliable..   It would be nice  
to leave the InterNIC templating system back in  the 90's, but  
something tells me, making that more easy/modern, will add a whole  
new set of problems.  I'd prefer to leave well enough alone with that  
system... ;-)
>
> Hopefully this discussion we're having now will result in lower fees
> or rebates for most of us.
>
You and me both Dave.. ;-)

Regards,
Jeremy Anthony Kinsey
  e-mail: jer at mia.net
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