[arin-ppml] Solving the squatting problem

[Michel Py]

Hi Owen,

>> Michel Py wrote :
>> Typical use case : large org that has outgrown 10/8 and squats un-announced DoD prefix.
>> They know it's dumb, but IPv6 does not cut it either. They pick the lesser of two evils.

> Owen DeLong wrote :
> I’d argue that IPv6 is the lesser of evils and fixing whatever broken
> system they have that causes IPv6 to “not cut it” is the least evil.

>> Regardless the technical difficulties, it would have been nice to have 240/4.

> In order to make 240/4 work, we would have had to update the code on virtually every system on the internet and most of the applications.

Not if it was for private use only. Only the organizations that would choose to use 240/4 would have to change. And these orgs have serious purchasing power, so if they decided to use 240/4, they would have a very good point telling their vendors to make their stuff work with it.
If we had done that earlier, we would have a de-jure standard instead of a de-facto disgrace.

> If we spend the same effort making 204/4 work instead of making IPv6 work, then when we
> run out of 24/4 space (and we would), we are no better off than when we started. If,
> instead, we spend that effort enabling IPv6, at the end we have a completed transition
> with the ability to deprecate IPv4 and make everyone’s lives significantly better.

The market has proven you wrong. We have a squatting problem.
Your solution : tell people to deploy IPv6 instead of squatting DoD space.
It does not work, and as time passes, it will work even less. For the first orgs who squatted DoD space, it was a bold move. They kept in under wraps as much as they could. But now, unfortunately, is has become OK to do because "everyone else does it, why not me".
My solution : give the people what they want, legally.
You're telling them to drink fruit juice, but they want booze. No matter what you say, they'll keep making moonshine.

This is not what you and I wanted, 20 years ago. Owen, the prohibition looked like a good idea, but it did not work.
We _do_ have a squatting situation.

Michel.