[ppml] Policy Proposal: Decreasing Exponential Rationing ofIPv4 IP Addresses

[Michael K. Smith - Adhost]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ppml-bounces at arin.net [mailto:ppml-bounces at arin.net] On Behalf
Of
> Dean Anderson
> Sent: Wednesday, August 22, 2007 12:23 PM
> To: michael.dillon at bt.com
> Cc: ppml at arin.net
> Subject: Re: [ppml] Policy Proposal: Decreasing Exponential Rationing
> ofIPv4 IP Addresses
> 
> So, now ARIN can't do math?
> 
> Actually, as a management body for a field of engineering and applied
> mathematics, greatly concerned with numbers, ARIN is indeed a sort of
> mathematical society.
> 
> How do you competently and credibly claim to be able to do network
> engineering without mathematical formulas?  I'd suppose you were
> joking,
> but indeed there are those who subscribe to Faith-based network
> engineering, and prefer Intelligent Design over Evolution.
> 
> 		--Dean

If we were trying to write policies for a set of engineers then
mathematical equations would be justified.  However, what I think we're
trying to do is write policies that are understandable and implementable
by ARIN's user base.  This base includes lots of entities and
individuals that are perfectly capable of requesting and allocating IP
resources without knowing a lick of math, aside from the ability to
write enough numbers on a check to pay ARIN for the space.

ARIN is not an mathematical society and it does not serve
mathematicians.  As some Physics professor somewhere said, "if you can't
explain it to an 8 year old then you don't understand it."  I think we
should try to have all of our documentation, whether it be policy,
procedures or FAQ's, written in a manner that is understandable to the
greatest number of people possible.

Regards,

Mike Smith