[arin-ppml] What if we adopt policy that might negatively affect the RIRs organizationally

[Scott Leibrand]

TJ wrote:
> When the community is making a policy decision, is protecting the future of
> the organizational RIR structure - as the sole basis for a policy, or a
> relevant factor thereof - in the community's best interest?  Not saying it
> isn't a valid question, and certainly not wishing ill for the
> organization(s) in question ... just asking - is that a valid justification
> to influence a policy decision?
> 
> While I am at it - is the inverse possible?
> Procedurally, what would happen if (worst case) the ARIN community attempted
> to adopt a policy demolishing [past|present|future] policy / policy creation
> capability?

Yes, it would be possible for ARIN to adopt policy, or take other actions, 
that made ARIN, the organization, irrelevant.  We've discussed such a 
possibility in the Advisory Council, and with certain Board members.  My 
recollection of the conclusion was something like this:

If a policy is in the best interests of the community, and for ARIN's 
mission, but would be detrimental to ARIN the organization, the community 
and the AC could still choose to move the policy forward.  The Board would 
look very long and hard at it, to make sure it really is the best way 
forward, but if they decide it is, they could adopt the policy (and/or 
take other related non-policy action) to further ARIN's mission, even if 
it were detrimental to ARIN the organization.

To put it another way, our job, as the community (and the AC's job, as 
your elected representatives) is to put forward the best policy we can, 
mostly independent of organizational or legal considerations.  It's the 
Board's job to take those other considerations into account when deciding 
whether to ratify the policy proposal.

-Scott


P.S. I haven't checked my statements above with anyone else, so they're 
just my own statements and subject to correction/clarification by others.