Why create reliance on more databases? The RIRs are iffy. We rely on DNS right now. Why not keep relying on it? This solution doesn't solve all of our problems, but it does help, its easy, and people will implement it.
Who populates the DNS (well, the .arpa domain)? The RIRs do.
So, have we established that the RIRs are trustworthy organizations that can act as the root of a distributed database hierarchy? Does anyone really disagree with this? Note that there are mechanisms outside of the IETF to set up and operate a distributed database for validation of route announcements. As Bill Manning pointed out, you can piggyback something on DNS, or you could ask the RIRs to make the route registries work more like DNS or you could ask the RIRs to do something else. Since the RIRs are open and pulic organizations responsive to the network operators who are the members, it is not necessary to go to the IETF and argue with vendors to get something implemented. Not all problems should be solved inside a box with Cisco or Juniper on written on it. --Michael Dillon