[ppml] Metric for rejecting policy proposals: AC candidate question

[Edward Lewis]

At 15:19 +0200 10/3/06, Sam Weiler wrote:

>I agree with most of the candidates that, in most cases, the public
>policy process is clearly a slower, kludgier, and less desirable way
>of dealing with these issues than the informal processes.  On the
>other hand, the informal routes may not provide the result the
>community desires.  Accordingly, I'd like the see the option of using
>the public policy process remain available for anything that could
>possibly be in-scope for that process, even when an informal
>alternative exists.

The public policy process referred to above is not the real name of 
the process, the formal name is "Internet Resource Policy Evaluation 
Process (IRPEP)."  The Advisory Council (AC) plays a role in that 
process.

If a change to the Number Resource Policy Manual (NRPM) is required, 
the IRPEP is what is to be followed.  Kludgy and slow is in the eye 
of the beholder - due diligence may require that.  Less desirable 
implies that there is another process - and there isn't.

There is no informal route towards a change to the NRPM.  If there 
were, ARIN would be in trouble with people with different expertise 
than I.

I suspect that this thread begun over the Registration Services 
Agreement complaint.  The RSA is not an Internet resource, hence 
modifications to it is not subject to the IRPEP.  The AC was correct 
in, for lack of a better term, "bouncing" any proposal to alter the 
RSA.

Over the past few years there has been a call to allow comments from 
the public and membership on ARIN's performance of its duties.  The 
ARIN Consultation and
Suggestion Process (ACSP) is the current vehicle for that.  "Current" 
as this is a new process and has yet to prove itself over time.

There is no choice to be made.  Changes to the NRPM undergo the 
IRPEP, which may involve the AC.  ("May" refers to the exceptions for 
emergency changes.)  Changes to the way ARIN (and it's staff) carry 
out the duties of ARIN now go through the ACSP.

To drop back into history a moment...at the ARIN meeting in October, 
2004, in Reston, BoT member Scott Bradner scolded us for talking 
about "IPs" and not "Internet Addresses."  Although the comment 
seemed rather pedantic at the moment, the use of colloquialisms is 
quite possibly the root cause of why these misunderstandings arise.

When I began to prepare this message I wondered if there was a clear 
delineation of what issues went to the AC.  Having been on staff (but 
separate from the IRPEP) and now a member representing an 
organization, it wasn't until I "dug" up the formal names for the 
processes and now I see clearly that there is a delineation.  Perhaps 
we need to be ever more formal as more and more newcomers arrive at 
the meetings so we don't fall into these kinds of diversions.  In 
short, Scott is right.

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Edward Lewis                                                +1-571-434-5468
NeuStar

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