[arin-discuss] Reminder that ARIN = US - was Re: Suggestion 2010.1 -- Initial Fee Waiver for IPv6 assignments to LRSA signatories

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

Keith W. Hare wrote:

"...it doesn't cost ARIN anything...."

Keith, I don't mean to single you out because Owen said exactly
the same kind of thing, as did others, but I am taking this
opportunity to mention that ARIN is NOT a profit-making entity,
they CANNOT take a financial loss, there are no stockholders
to deny dividends to, no owners.

A fee waiver is a COST the same as paying for the electric
bill for the WHOIS servers, and a lease on the
building ARIN is in, and the cost of the chairs in that building
that the ARIN staff's butts are sitting on.

ALL MEMBERS OF ARIN that pay ANYTHING to ARIN - even if it's
nothing more than a nominal $100 a year fee - are paying for those
costs.

The CORRECT SENTENCE is NOT  "cost ARIN anything"

The CORRECT SENTENCE is "cost YOU AND ME AND THE REST OF US anything"

I think sometimes people get the feeling that there's this
mythical pot of money at ARIN that has no connection to their
wallets, I will remind everyone here that ARIN's expenses are
OUR expenses.

The question we need to be asking is will spending the money on
a fee waiver get more flies to the IPv6 pot than spending the money
on something else like outreach or education, or another Team ARIN
comic? ;-)

Now back to your regularly scheduled discussion.....


Ted