72/8 friendly reminder

Thu Mar 24 15:17:48 UTC 2005

> > In any case, it is not important how the message
> > gets communicated to ARIN. What is important is for
> > network operators to *TELL* ARIN what they need ARIN
> 
> is arin the problem here? or are 'lazy'/'dumb'/'mistaken'/'poorly
> informed' admins the problem?

ARIN is not part of the problem, but ARIN *IS* part
of the solution.

If ARIN was really a functional organization, i.e. driven
by its members, then we wouldn't even be talking about this
here. It would have been done long ago.

However, ARIN today is a very dysfunctional organization.
Most ARIN members seem to view ARIN as a distant regulatory
agency to whom they must regularly burn incense and make
sacrifices in order for the ARIN gods to bestow IP addresses 
upon the unworthy network operator. The result is that there
is little participation by ARIN members in monitoring and
governing ARIN. And therefore, ARIN does what it has always
done without changing or innovating.

Is this bad? Yes, it is bad that so many ARIN members
remain at arms length. It is bad that so many ARIN members
do not understand ARIN and do not drive ARIN towards better
meeting the needs of the IP network operations industry.
It is bad that so many network operators fear ARIN and think
that ARIN carries a big stick like the FCC. The fault is not
with the people involved in ARIN; the fault is with the majority
of IP network operators who do not get involved with ARIN.

--Michael Dillon