[arin-ppml] ARIN-prop-136 Services Opt-out Allowed for Unaffiliated Address Blocks

[Milton L Mueller]

> -----Original Message-----
> ARIN members wish ARIN to strive for uniqueness. That is its raison
> detre. Excluding numbers from the database of unique numbers 
[Milton L Mueller] 

False assumption #1: opting out of ARIN services means no Whois record. 
Fact: Some people are so stuck in the mindset that ARIN and only ARIN can offer a Whois service that they are missing the point of this proposal. Are you aware of the request by a prospective competitor for bulk access to Whois so that it can be reconciled with an alternate provider and maintain a globally consistent directory? 

> Encouraging fragmentation is a trojan horse that will serve to undermine
> credibility and faith in ARIN.[Milton L Mueller] 
[Milton L Mueller] 

False assumption #2: formalizing the opt out means "fragmentation." 
AFAICT, the fragmentation is already here. There are many legacy holders, including my university, who haven't updated their ARIN whois records since the 1990s. 

> But more importantly, it is a service to the ARIN members reflecting the
> values of the database of uniqueness.

[Milton L Mueller] 

False assumption #3: unique allocations are threatened by competitive whois. 
Fact: the allocation function, which maintains uniqueness, is functionally and operationally separate from the Whois service. 

> The LRSA is already a form of opt-in, allowing for a continued implicit opt-out.

[Milton L Mueller] 
Joe, an explicit opt-out is far more constructive and manageable than an "implicit" one. Suggest you read once more Benson's elegant characterization of that "illusion of implied authority."