[ppml] Legacy users and ARIN duties

[Cliff Bedore]

As a legacy address holder and newcomer to the list, I'm a little 
concerned about all the effort to get us to join ARIN/sign RSAs etc.  
I've had my Class C (/24 for the newbies :-) ) since 1990.  Until I was 
invited to join this list, I have had virtually no interface with ARIN.  
I think there were a few changes made over the years as I switched 
providers but mostly no contact.  When we got our addresses, there were 
no ISPs.  Companies/groups/individuals got addresses to connect to the 
internet not to make a business of getting others connected to the 
internet.  Our needs were fairly static for the most part.  The world 
changed but we were left alone for 15-17 years.  Now as IPv4 space is 
getting low, everyone wants us to in some way legitimatize our status.  
Like common law marriage after 7 years, I think our status is 
established by custom that is recognized as valid. 

If there is really going to be an IPv6 Internet "real soon now" why the 
hell does anybody care about getting fees/RSAs from the legacy holders 
of IPv4 address space after all these years.  The only reason I can 
think of is that nobody really believes IPv6 is going to happen and all 
that legacy space (however much that is) is beginning to look more and 
more attractive as there is less and less available.  People are 
sharpening their knives at how to carve up the legacy space. 

If IANA/ARIN/other RIRs are serious about IPv6, they would be much 
better off trying to get IPv6 going rather than chase legacy users for 
their space.  If IPv6 is going to happen and the legacy users are going 
to be around, they will need IPv6 space and will join the community and 
sign the proper RSAs when they do.  Would it be good stewardship for 
ARIN to develop a v6/v4 gateway that was freely available for various 
ISPs to use to induce IPv6 adoption?

Personally, the more I hear about IPv6, the more I am reminded of the 
OSI/GOSIP fiasco of the early 90s.  OSI was too big, too complicated and 
had too many "undefineds".  IPv6 is beginning to look the same way.   I 
personally think that some big company is going to start their own 
separate IPv4 space, develop big gateways and double the size of the 
Internet without requiring any change to any equipment on either side of 
the gateway.  Don't ask me how, I don't know but I'll bet somebody can 
do it. Maybe they'll call the domain .FUV6. :-)

Seriously, I think ARIN is wasting its time trying to do anything with 
legacy space.  If they really want IPv6 to take off, the sooner v4 
disappears, the sooner v6 will happen.  It's like they have a split 
personality and want to keep both.

Cliff