[arin-ppml] Revised - Draft Policy ARIN-2022-12: Direct Assignment Language Update

Mon Oct 2 17:18:07 EDT 2023

Agree to disagree…

“Direct Registration” makes it clear (IMHO) that all that ARIN provides is a registration. The idea that an address block exists, let alone exists separate from the registration of same is the source of a great deal of misunderstanding and confusion in a great many places.

A proper definition of “Direct Registration” in NRPM could, IMHO, go a long way towards resolving some of that confusion.

“Issuance” in addition to being awkward as a noun carries the same baggage and implications that ARIN is somehow doing something other than registering the association of a particular block to a particular entity. While this has been a common and convenient thought process, it has also led to the perpetuation of the misunderstanding that addresses (and/or groups or blocks of addresses) are things which are created, put into some form of free pool, and then issued/allocated from that pool, rather than simply an association (registration) of integers within a particular registry for a particular purpose among those who choose to cooperate and interoperate with that registry.

“Allocation” in addition to having remaining baggage from previous utilization (not the least of which is the implication that someone holding an “allocation” is expected to be some form of ISP or at least some form of “service provider” or “LIR” that issues addresses to “customers” in many people’s minds) is also problematic for the same reasons I just outlined for “Issuance”. While it is true that current practice at ARIN has made it POSSIBLE for all “assignments” to now be treated that way, it has not moved all end users into actually being service providers who choose to exercise this new found capability.

Indeed, what ARIN does comes most proximate in the real world to various “registration” functions performed by government entities… e.g. your “vehicle registration” amounts to an association between a given VIN and a given entity via a 3rd key (“License Plate Number”). Registering a property deed is the registration of an association between a particular piece of real estate (assessors parcel number) and an entity (“owner”), etc.

As such, the more I think about the problem, the more I think that “registration” is the best choice among those presented so far. If someone can come up with a better term that has even less baggage (because I agree, “registration” is not baggage free), then I will gladly support that. IMHO, Neither “Allocation” nor “Issuance” fit the bill.

Owen

> On Oct 2, 2023, at 13:45, John Curran <jcurran at arin.net> wrote:
> 
> Owen - 
> 
> We’ve got a range of possible terms, and each is imperfect in one or more aspects – 
> 
> “Direct Registration” actually has different interpretations, including the concept that an address block is distinct from the registration of same.  For this reason alone, it’s likely less than ideal. 
> 
> “Direct Issuance" would appropriately cover both assignments and allocations, but is awkward to use as a noun.
> 
> “Direct Allocation” is both well understood and encompasses how these address blocks are handled at the present time (and more accurate in many cases as a result of the evolution of the industry towards cloud and hosted service providers.)  
> 
> Anyone looking at how these blocks are handled today will not be confused by the term of art since it is being used in its classic meaning – and if indeed changing Direct Assignment to Direct Allocation results in any degree of confusion, then the same confusion (or more) would quite likely result from changing both to new terminology altogether. 
> 
> Thanks,
> /John
> 
> John Curran
> President and CEO
> American Registry for Internet Numbers
> 
> 
> 
>> On Oct 2, 2023, at 12:58 PM, Owen DeLong via ARIN-PPML <arin-ppml at arin.net> wrote:
>> 
>> John,
>> 
>> At least in my case, this was previously well understood. I appreciate your clarification, but I stand by my suggestion that a new term should be applied. I think “direct registration” is probably the best choice of language. Issuance implies that ARIN had possession of a thing and provided that thing to the registrant. In reality, nobody possesses or owns integers, but ARIN registers particular integers to particular organizations with the intent that said registrations remain unique within the given registry (system) for a particular purpose. 
>> 
>> Owen
>> 
>> 
>>> On Oct 2, 2023, at 09:30, John Sweeting <jsweeting at arin.net> wrote:
>>> 
>>> Hello all,
>>> 
>>> ARIN staff would like to provide the following clarification on this change.
>>> 
>>> The changes being requested in the NRPM through this policy (2022-12) are simply to ensure the NRPM stays synched with the current operational practices of ARIN. Due to the fee harmonization completed in 2022 ARIN no longer does Direct Assignments, ARIN only does Direct Allocations. Direct Allocations have all the same properties that they have always had. The difference in services being that both ISPs and End Users can now make reassignments and reallocations. Hope that helps.
>>> 
>>> John S. 
>>> 
>>> On 10/2/23, 12:22 PM, "ARIN-PPML on behalf of Owen DeLong via ARIN-PPML" <arin-ppml-bounces at arin.net <mailto:arin-ppml-bounces at arin.net> on behalf of arin-ppml at arin.net <mailto:arin-ppml at arin.net>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Oct 2, 2023, at 07:21, Pellak, Kaitlyn via ARIN-PPML <arin-ppml at arin.net <mailto:arin-ppml at arin.net>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Hi all,
>>>> 
>>>>> The rationale used was that it was more straightforward to revise the
>>>>> definition across the NRPM rather than replace each relevant
>>>>> instance of “allocation” and “assignment” with another term
>>>>> (allocation appears 245 times, and assignment appears 101 times.)
>>>> 
>>>> I'm sure this has already been addressed but could we not simply "find and replace" allocation and assignment with the new terms in the NRPM?
>>>> 
>>>> If not, perhaps we should consider a way to make those and similar updates given the ever-changing nature of internet terminology.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Expressing that to the community gets a bit more complicated than the act of doing so. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> However, I feel that the effort is warranted for the reasons previously stated. 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Owen
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Best,
>>>> Kaitlyn
>>>> 
>>>> Kaitlyn Pellak 
>>>> Amazon – Technical Business Developer II 
>>>> kaitjean at amazon.com <mailto:kaitjean at amazon.com> <mailto:kaitjean at amazon.com <mailto:kaitjean at amazon.com>> 
>>>> 301.921.5566 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> On 10/1/23, 7:10 AM, "ARIN-PPML on behalf of William Herrin" <arin-ppml-bounces at arin.net <mailto:arin-ppml-bounces at arin.net> <mailto:arin-ppml-bounces at arin.net <mailto:arin-ppml-bounces at arin.net>> on behalf of bill at herrin.us <mailto:bill at herrin.us> <mailto:bill at herrin.us <mailto:bill at herrin.us>>> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you can confirm the sender and know the content is safe.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>>> On Sat, Sep 30, 2023 at 6:39 PM Douglas Camin <doug at dougcamin.com <mailto:doug at dougcamin.com> <mailto:doug at dougcamin.com <mailto:doug at dougcamin.com>>> wrote:
>>>>> Reading the terms Allocation and Assignment, I see the primary
>>>>> distinction between them as one is “for you” and one is “for you to give to others.”
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Hi Douglas,
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> To the extent that there was a "primary" distinction, it's that one
>>>> was for organizations acting like an ISP and one was for organizations
>>>> acting like end-users. The associated nuance was extensive: everything
>>>> from how you justified addresses to your public reporting
>>>> responsibilities to not only how much you paid but the very framework
>>>> for determining how much you paid. That's what made them "terms of
>>>> art." https://www.justia.com/dictionary/term-of-art/ <https://www.justia.com/dictionary/term-of-art/> <https://www.justia.com/dictionary/term-of-art/> <https://www.justia.com/dictionary/term-of-art/>>
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Someone who looks up those terms in connection with ARIN is going to
>>>> find all the myriad explanations for how they worked. And be very
>>>> confused since things will no longer work that way.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> The better plan is to pick a new term entirely. Leave assignment and
>>>> allocation in the definitions so that you can note that they're
>>>> obsolete and no longer used. Doesn't really matter what new words you
>>>> choose: they'll become the new term of art attached to the new
>>>> operating model.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> The rationale used was that it was more straightforward to revise the
>>>>> definition across the NRPM rather than replace each relevant
>>>>> instance of “allocation” and “assignment” with another term
>>>>> (allocation appears 245 times, and assignment appears 101 times.)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Understood but respectfully: I think that would be a mistake for the
>>>> reason described above.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Bill Herrin
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> --
>>>> William Herrin
>>>> bill at herrin.us <mailto:bill at herrin.us> <mailto:bill at herrin.us <mailto:bill at herrin.us>>
>>>> https://bill.herrin.us/ <https://bill.herrin.us/> <https://bill.herrin.us/> <https://bill.herrin.us/>>
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