ARIN is A Good Thing

[Jim Browning]

>From:  Jim Fleming[SMTP:JimFleming at unety.net]
>Sent:  Saturday, March 29, 1997 9:49 PM
>
>On Friday, March 28, 1997 5:51 PM, Jim Browning[SMTP:jfbb at ATMNET.NET] 
wrote:
>@ This is a public expression of opinion which has also been sent 
privately
>@ to appropriate governmental organizations...
>@
>@ ----------
>@ I am writing this to express ATMnet's support for ARIN (the American
>@ Registry for Internet Numbers) in the strongest possible terms.  It is 
of
>@ the utmost importance that the allocation of Internet Protocol (IP)
>@ addresses not be jeopardized by the turmoil currently surround the 
Domain
>@ Name System (DNS), and that immediate steps be taken to move in the
>@ direction defined in the ARIN proposal.  DNS issues are primarily 
related
>@ to factors such as market leverage, and obtaining any particular domain
>@ name can be viewed as something of a luxury.  IP Addresses, on the other 
>@ hand, are of operational concern, and timely and appropriate access to 
this
>@ resource is absolutely required for the continued growth of the 
Internet.
>@
>
>The turmoil surrounding the Domain Name System (DNS)
>is going to come to an end as NEW companies are allowed to get
>involved in the Registry Industry. Most of the turmoil was caused
>by ARIN-like proposals

ARIN is a unique situation, as it involves the allocation of a finite 
resource which is a hard requirement for Internet operations..

>focused on preserving the Internet governance by a select group
>of insiders that do not want to give up control.

ARIN expands the circle of influence to include those entities requiring 
its services.

>the infrastructure needed to support
>a domain registry is very similar to that needed to handle IP
>allocations.

IP allocation requires subjective evaluation, whereas the DNS functions are 
mechanical.  Everyone would like to seethe subjectivity reduced, however it 
will never be eliminated.

>To try to artificially partition these industries simply to preserve
>some power structures to give selected people comfortable jobs
>without having to be accountable to the market place,

ARIN is much more accountable to the market than the government or NSI..

>Rough consensus ?...where ?...when people are censored
>and encouraged not to post to a mailing list, one can not
>conclude that silence equals consensus.

Asking you to keep to the subject matter of lists and refrain from legal 
threats and needless rhetoric (requests which are never fulfilled) is 
hardly the same as censure.  Despite the remaining few vociferous 
individuals, it appears that there is indeed a rough consensus that ARIN 
should move forward..

>Again, why don't those people take a single
>/8 (one 256th of the address space) and demonstrate
>these skills, ethics, etc. With that approach people that
>want to pay them can and those that prefer to go in a
>different direction can do that.

"Those people" have already demonstrated their skills.  ARIN is a 
"sin-off", and it needs the resources to do its job..

>Do you also think that it is "right" for CEOs of
>companies to threaten other companies with denying
>transport of packets ?

Under certain circumstances, yes...

>If ARIN is formed, what assurances do people have
>that certain people or groups will not be black-listed

The same assurances that they have now...

>Does that group know the difference between right and wrong ?

Yes...
--
Jim Browning