[ppml] Policy Proposal: IPv4 Transfer Policy Proposal

[Stephen Sprunk]

Thus spake "Scott Leibrand" <sleibrand at internap.com>
> Geoff Huston wrote:
>> That said, I now notice that there are similar proposals in both the
>> ARIN and RIPE regions, so it may be possible during the course of the
>> consideration of these proposals to assess to what extent such transfer
>> mechanisms could be extended to encompass transfers across RIRs, as
>> Scott Leibrand has already indicated in his response to Raul.
>
> Do you think that the consideration of transfer mechanisms should occur
> now, during the initial consideration of the separate proposals, or
> after the adoption of two or more transfer policy proposals (but
> hopefully before IANA exhaustion)?  Given how complex the issue is just
> within each RIR, I can definitely see arguments for the latter, but am
> wondering if others see compelling reasons to consider those issues now...

The global policy process is difficult at best when everyone agrees on what 
needs to be done -- and probably with good reason.  IMHO, there is little 
hope of us getting through that by the time IANA exhaustion hits if it were 
to be the primary route because this issue is so contentious.

We don't know if we want to do this.  If we decide to do it, we don't know 
the right method or rules to go about it.  Every region is going to come up 
with different answers to the salient questions, and that's their right. 
Personally, I think we're all going to get it wrong on the first try, but in 
interestingly different ways.  We'll learn from each others' mistakes and 
perhaps, one day, come to some sort of global policy that everyone can live 
with.  Or perhaps we'll decide that even if every region allows internal 
transfers, we don't want to allow them between regions for some reason. 
Trying to answer that question today is premature, as we're all blind men 
groping at different parts of the elephant at this point.  More importantly, 
a global coordination is not a pressing matter; we can solve that after IANA 
exhaustion -- but the regional debate definitely needs to be settled before 
then one way or the other.

At this time I have no comments on this particular proposal other than to 
say I am against it being adopted _at the upcoming meeting_.  I hope that it 
sparks thoughtful debate on the topic and that it spurs alternative 
proposals in the following policy cycle(s).  This is too big an issue to be 
resolved in a couple months with only one option in front of us.

S

Stephen Sprunk         "God does not play dice."  --Albert Einstein
CCIE #3723         "God is an inveterate gambler, and He throws the
K5SSS        dice at every possible opportunity." --Stephen Hawking