[arin-ppml] Policy Proposal: Whois Authentication Alternatives

[Stephen Sprunk]

Jo Rhett wrote:
> On Aug 22, 2008, at 5:44 PM, Randy Bush wrote:
>   
>>> I suspect the half of the towns people who set decent rules and
>>> tried to preserve the commons will be relatively unsympathetic at
>>> that point in time that those who have avoided participating in
>>> society and openly mocked them are now receiving their just rewards.
>>>       
>> kiddies, get a clue.  many folk with legacy space were building the
>> internet while you were still in nappies.  we think it is you who are
>> pissing on the commons.
>>     
>
> I don't disagree.  But I don't think that ARIN should spend time/ 
> resources trying to help people who aren't paying members.  Basic  
> conservative approach.
>   

That logic assumes it's the registrant who gets the benefit of the free 
service, while in fact the registrant gets little to no benefit.  They 
already know who they are and what they have.  The benefit of WHOIS is 
to let _others_ know who they are and what they have, and the majority 
of those "others" are the ones paying the bill and to whom the benefit 
actually accrues.  If anything, we should be thanking the few legacy 
folks that do keep their information up to date, since they have no 
obligation nor much incentive to do so.  Putting more obstacles in their 
path just means fewer will bother with the hassle, and the commons will 
suffer.

> It's not like any of these individuals (who are still alive and  
> frankly are mostly active in ARIN today) are unaware of ARIN or that  
> the legacy RSA exists

What the folks on this list, or the folks who built the Internet, think 
and what their employers' or ex-employers' managements and/or legal 
counsel are willing to do may be (and often are) wildly divergent.  
Discussion here of the LRSA is interesting but not productive; ARIN's 
counsel is the one that drafted it and is getting feedback from 
potential signers about possible problems.  PPML is not, and IMHO should 
not be, involved in that cycle.

S