[arin-ppml] ARIN's Authority - One view (was: Re: LRSA concerns)

[Milton L Mueller]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Curran [mailto:jcurran at istaff.org]
> It is questionable whether we can
> keep the present Internet growing simply using IPv4.

Just to be clear, to advocate efficient management of scarcity in the
IPv4 space does NOT entail a belief in indefinite extension of IPv4. It
is simply asserts that the mechanisms used to manage IPv4 address
resources should reflect the actual situation in that resource pool. 

> an irresponsible act with global economic consequences.  Due to
> the inherent nature of IPv4/IPv6 interoperability, it's going to
> be necessary for many organizations to run both in parallel for
> some period of time in order to effect the transition.

Precisely, so IPv4 is going to be with us for a long time. Therefore its
address space must be managed effectively and efficiently for some time.
I have trouble understanding why this point is even controversial. There
seems to be an attitude that as soon as the last free IPv4 block is
allocated we can stop worrying about IPv4 resource management and
(somehow) start pushing everyone into v6. This is a dangerous fantasy.
Scarcity doesn't go away because you don't like it and wish it weren't
there. Market forces don't disappear because you don't like markets and
refuse to organize them properly. Conditions of scarcity in the ipv4
space will affect the conduct and behavior of organizations, ISPs and
indirectly, internet users for at least a decade. 

So if you don't have a strategy for responding to v4 address scarcity
you're not being responsible. If you don't like transfers in ipv4 tell
me what that strategy is.