[arin-ppml] quantitative study of IPv4 address market

[Milton L Mueller]

> -----Original Message-----
> 
> We can (and have done so often) argue about whether and what technical
> parameters should exist for ARIN to consider utilization justified.
> 
> Encoding technical paradigms du-jour into policy is not often a good idea.
> 
> Joe

Exactly. The concept of need depends on a technical configuration as well as a business planning horizon, both of which are highly variable. Technical configurations and architectures are subject to human creativity and economic incentives, which is why the whole concept of needs assessment is now being exposed as a non-scientific, "flexible" process. Note, I did not say "completely arbitrary," but I would say "not objective and standardized." 

This makes it increasingly puzzling to me why certain people insist on retention of traditional needs assessments as a matter of religion. I fully understand their desire to discourage unproductive hoarding, but that is an economic problem, not a technical one, and is best addressed through economically oriented policies. Nearly all entities who spend real money to acquire addresses are either going to use them or find a way to lease them to people who will use them. Rather than continue to bicker about the MSFT case, this community should try to move toward a new consensus regarding the role of light-handed, market-friendly policy measures to discourage unproductive use of available blocks.

--MM