[arin-ppml] Revised - Draft Policy ARIN-2025-1: Clarify ISP and LIR Definitions and References to Address Ambiguity in NRPM Text

[David Farmer]

On Fri, Sep 19, 2025 at 8:58 PM William Herrin <bill at herrin.us> wrote:

> On Fri, Sep 19, 2025 at 4:32 PM David Farmer <farmer at umn.edu> wrote:
> > Please explain what is confusing about the current usage of both LIR and
> ISP?
>
> Hi David,
>
> To someone like you, Owen, or I who have been steeped in ARIN lore and
> lingo for decades? Nothing at all.
>
> To someone new to ARIN? Registry-specific terms of art, especially
> inconsistent use of those terms of art, is one of a laundry list of
> things which make ARIN's processes so arcane. The less we rely on
> terms of art which are unique to IP address registries, the more
> accessible and comprehensible ARIN will be to folks who don't do this
> every day.
>
> It's communication skills man. Don't use a rare word when a common
> word gets the idea across.
>

Why is the inconsistent use of a standard term any better? At least with
the term LIR, most people will not have a preconceived notion about the
meaning of the term. Most people think they know what the term ISP means,
but the use of the term ISP by the NRMP and by ARIN is not the standard
meaning of the term ISP.  As John Sweeting says, "If you need to use
customers to justify your needs requirements, then you are considered an
ISP."

If you ask someone on the street what an ISP is, I very much doubt that is
the definition they will give you.

Again, given an appropriate definition for the term ISP, I'm fine with
using that term, but it is not the standard definition you will find in a
dictionary.

Thanks.


> Regards,
> Bill Herrin
>
>
> --
> William Herrin
> bill at herrin.us
> https://bill.herrin.us/
>


-- 
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David Farmer               Email:farmer at umn.edu
Networking & Telecommunication Services
Office of Information Technology
University of Minnesota
2218 University Ave SE        Phone: 612-626-0815
Minneapolis, MN 55414-3029   Cell: 612-812-9952
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