As I mentioned at the nanog conference, I would very much like to have registries where we _pay_ for the registration services; the idea being that paying for the service will result in much better service. I also mentioned that I would like such registries to be non-for-profit, and that I would rather CIX stay the hell away from registries.

Why am I against CIX? Registries delegate authority over two different kinds of things: domain names and IP addresses [and AS numbers too]. The former have almost no value prior to registration, the latter have value wether or not they are being used. Either way NICs perform the service of the delegating authority over domain names and IP addresses; what they don't do is evaluate the market value of the domain names and IP addresses they hand out, and _that_ is what I worry an outfit like CIX might be tempted to do. It wouldn't be too bad if we had to pay market prices for IP addresses and domain names, but CIX might not have to pay market prices for the right to delegate authority either; I don't want to see a huge scam here...

In the old White Paper we were proposing that any surplus funds go to places like ISOC/IETF. Surplus funds, that is surplus over cost of operations, would me minimzed by a board of some type. I am sorry you feel we'd scam you. In any case, the White Paper did its job by acting as a catalyst for further movement with the result being Paul and Jerry's Internet registration Tool Set proposal.

How would CIX determine the fees that we're to pay them for their registration services?? In response to their members' questions as to what they (the members) would get [for their fees being spent on this project] that non-CIX-members woudln't, Paul and Jerry mumbled something about a two-tiered service pricing scheme where CIX members would get lower fees. Am I the only one bothered by this?

I think they might have been referring to the tool set.

And _what_ is CIX going to give _who_ in exchange for the right/responsibility of delegating authority over the Class C space lying at 207.*.*.* and beyond?? And what would they then charge for the service of assigning these to ISP's [and whoever else]??

Mind you, I don't want to see IP address space auctions like the electromagnetic spectrum auctions the FCC has been carrying out... I think that careful delegation, will give us enough time to get to the point where the older IP assignments can be redone (i.e. when people renumber) or to when IPv6 can be deployed (which opens up a whole new wonderful can of worms. My proposal is that a non-for-profit organization free of conflicting interests (like the members vs. non-members problem CIX has) take over the InterNIC's registry responsibilities.

In the old White paper the goal was for the CIX to simply act as a clearing house where the actual registries that customers would deal with operate at ISP level. Therefore, I fail to see the conflict of interest. In any case, as described above, the immediate problem is with the current state of support tools, and that is where we think we should be focusing our attention. Any advise on this matter would be appreciated. The bottom line is to do what's right and what's needed for the ISP community. Thanks Bob Collet Preident, CIX

Which would be the best forum to discuss these matters?

Nick