[arin-ppml] Abandonment of 103/104

[michael.dillon at bt.com]

> I'm deeply disturbed by this post. My understanding is that 
> the AC's mission is to help the community craft the best 
> possible policy which expresses its will and to help the 
> process move smoothly.

Actually, according to ARIN Bylaws Article VI, Section 2 a.
the function of the Advisory Council is as follows:

   The Advisory Council shall act in an advisory capacity
   to the Board of Trustees on matters as the Board of
   Trustees may, from time to time, request involving
   Internet numbering resource policies and related
   matters. The President of ARIN shall be the primary
   point of contact between the Advisory Council and
   the Board of Trustees.

The AC has never been there to help the community express its
will. In fact, it was created in order to collate and filter
the desires of the "Internet community".

It is easy for mythology to build up around an organization
and it is useful, from time to time, to review the basic
principles on which an organisation is founded.

It would also be useful to look through the PDP at
<https://www.arin.net/policy/pdp.html> where you will note
that it talks about the community "developing" policies.
It never states that policies are to express the will of
the community, instead it talks about the community "supporting"
a policy change, about consensus and about the community
initiating proposals.

It also clearly defines the role of the Advisory Council thus:
   The Advisory Council determines the consensus of the
   community regarding the draft policy. It evaluates
   the type and amount of support and opposition to a
   policy as expressed by the community on the ppml and
   in the public policy meeting.

In particular, if you have a proposal that has overwhelming
public support for a new fee structure for ARIN, then the
ACs job is clearly to reject that proposal. The amount of
support was right, but the type of support is wrong since
   "Policies developed through the PDP do not define or
    establish ARIN fees.".

--Michael Dillon