Policy Statement on Address Space Allocations

Tim Bass (from cais.com) cais at dune.silkroad.com
Sat Feb 3 01:28:18 UTC 1996


A good and old friend writes:

> Okay, I'll play along.
> 

......................... [ ..... ] ....................

I have had this reply in my /tmp directory for a few hours to
a NANOG post on the same subject matter......

and if we are just 'playing along' please allow the heretics
in the 'rebel base camp' to play as well :-)

----------- A Rebuke Against the Crusade  ----------


  
Back and forth:
 
Bill:
>> 	Hijacking has a number of interesting problems 

Curtis:
> There is no need to call it hijacking.
 

[ ... ]

The Heretic Responds:

Why not call it hijacking?  That is exactly what it appears to be.
NANOG nor the IETF has the right to judge the motives of address 
space holders and the holder of the address space has no 
legal nor moral obligation to contact the providers of services.

Hijacking is actually a "kind and polite" term, it seems.  What the
"Self-proclaimed Omnipotent Crusaders and Saviors of the Fate
of Routing" seem to forget is that they do not control
the world IP address space; but they sure would like the world to believe
have been "Blessed with the Right from the Holy Grail of IP" to
act without remorse "for the cause".

Furthermore, there an infinite number of views and ideas that are 
inconsonant between peoples and organizations.  Forcing a particular 
philosophy on others in the style of a Crusade is *absolutely wrong*
and has been proven wrong for the entire span of human history.

( I suggest a select few  might be illuminated to read 
  literature beyond FAQs, technical manuals, and IETF 
  documents; a world history exists, believe-it-or-not! )

The "IP Routing Table Crusade" is just a modern example of the same
tactics used by dioramic zealots during all human history.

I'll stop here, especially to the pleasure of those who believe that
providers of IP services and hardware vendors have dominion over the
users of the technology.  What is the most educational, in my opinion, 
is to watch and read as others are seduced into the "Ardor of the Crusade".

The myth and perception of 'self-righteousness' is very dangerous; the world
of IP and internetworking is not exempt from the causal results of
crusaders.


Tim







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