[ppml] Policy Proposal 2002-3: Micro-Assignments forMultihomed Networks

[Charles Scott]

On 22 Aug 2003, Jeff S Wheeler wrote:

> On Fri, 2003-08-22 at 10:54, Eric Van Tol wrote:
> > With this reasoning, I suppose it would be okay to go out and steal cars
> > because some people find it too difficult to purchase a car on their
> > own, or lack the finances to purchase one.
> 
> Unfortunately in this case, a majority of the people using "hijacked" IP
> address space are doing so because they are too small to legitimately
> obtain assignments from the ARIN.
> 
> Using your analogy, it is impossible for many people to buy cars. Those
> people need one to get to work. Oh, and don't forget to mention, there
> are thousands upon thousands of abandoned cars, which no one will miss,
> and which are are in fine working order, on the side of the road. The
> only thing wrong with them is that they aren't registered to you (yet).

  I hate to perpetuate analogies to cars, but... there is public
transportation, there are taxis, there are busses, there are trains. Many
people can't or don't buy cars or don't use them for all transportation.  
It makes no sense to force reduction of the cost of cars to the point at
which everyone would use them. Doing so would in many ways jeopardize
safety and efficiency. There will always be people who can't afford to buy
or operate cars, who shouldn't operate cars, or who simply prefer not to. 
Stealing cars because you don't like the smell on the bus doesn't seem to 
be adequate justification for theft.

Chuck