[ppml] Counsel statement on Legacy assignments?

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

>-----Original Message-----
>From: ppml-bounces at arin.net [mailto:ppml-bounces at arin.net]On Behalf Of
>J. R. Westmoreland
>Sent: Friday, October 05, 2007 5:36 AM
>To: 'William Herrin'; 'John Curran'
>Cc: 'Randy Bush'; ppml at arin.net
>Subject: Re: [ppml] Counsel statement on Legacy assignments?
>

>> Randy's point about replacing ARIN for RDNS is not unsupported by law.
>> Consider the following scenario:
>
>This has already happened once in the name registration arena.
>It once used to be Internic, now NSI. Now, you have a very large number of
>choices. You can shop for cost, services provided, friendliness of staff
>(grin) or almost whatever you wish.

Technically this has NOT happened in the name registration arena.  You
are confusing the difference between a retailer of domain names and
the actual DNS infrastructure itself.

Domain names are USUALLY purchased by RETAIL customers.  Sally Sue wants
a domain name, she goes to GoDaddy or someplace like that and gets it.
That's where your very large number of choices exist.  But, ALL of those
registrars have to abide by a SINGLE point of control on the DNS
infrastructure -
meaning IANA.  A registrar cannot simply make up a TLD out of thin air
for example and start using it.

IP addresses are USUALLY requested by RETAIL customers.  Sally Sue wants
an IP address, she goes to EarthLink or some other ISP and gets it.
That's where your very large number of choices exist.  But, ALL of those
North American ISPs have to abide by a SINGLE point of control on the IP
infrastructure - meaning ARIN.  An ISP cannot simply make up an IP address
out of thin air for example and start using it.

>I see no reason that IP address space, ASNs and all other items managed by
>ARIN couldn't go the same way.
>This may not be the best but it is certainly possible.
>

What Randy is proposing about ARIN is equivalent in the DNS system with
replacing IANA with "something else"  That hasn't happened for many good
reasons, and it likely will not happen.  Just as it is unlikely for ARIN
to ever be replaced.

You have seen how difficult it is to get consensus on ARIN's activities.
ANY replacement "thing" will have just as difficult a time as getting
consensus - plus they will have another group, the "old ARIN supporters"
who will be out for blood and looking for any possible way to hamstring
them.

Randy is essentially talking out his ass.  The political reality is that
every day that passes merely continues to solidify the existing governmental
apparatus over the Internet and over IP addressing.  The days of
revolutionary
changes on the Internet governance are over.  The real activity these days
is where it is right now - working out policies for those existing
organizations
to work with.  Remember that Randy is one of the old guard in this
business -
he was participating back in the days when there was revolutionary change in
Internet governance.  You have to have some sympathy for him - he's
obviously
having a difficult time understanding how rapidly the political realities
of the situation have changed over the last few years. :-)

Ted