At 09:57 PM 1/2/97 -0500, you wrote:

The point has also been made that the management of the IP space should be put in the hands of those that depend on it - the users. Whether those users are ISPs, corporate entities, universities, etc., they should all play a role.

Sounds logical.....

To this end, Network Solutions, Inc. plans to create and initially fund a non-profit 501(c)6 organization to be known as The American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) to manage the IP address space for the territories it currently administers, similar to the APNIC and RIPE regional IP registries. This organization will be a non-profit spin-off of the current InterNIC IP group.

Ok... now how does this put control of IP space in the hands of users? NSI is just another bunch of suits and engineers... NOT end users...... interesting concept here.. I completly fail to see the logic. I DO however agree with the non-profit seperate entitly idea... I would hate to wake up and read the news to find that Network Solutions Inc. was bought up by some Telco or ISP who now has complete control over address space!! YIKES!

Network Solutions, Inc. will initially fund ARIN until fees are imposed and will offer continued financing until such time as it is a stable, self-sufficient entity capable of funding itself through its membership dues, registration and maintenance fees.

Now here is a plan.... but I see a few flaws... Firstly, does this mean that we can simply throw $100k at Internet and buy op several "B" blocks (or CIDR) even though we only need a class C?? Or does it mean we pay HUGE ammounts of money to STILL deal with the fascist IP space assignment policy that InterNIc has currently? (ie you have to give a persons name, address, and home phone to just if every host on your network). Either way... this is TOTALLY unaccpetable and if IANA allow it.. IANA should be disbanded as well... So here are the ways this could work.... 1. You can simply buy up unused address space by lobbing cash at these guys, meaning some ISP will lob a few million at it, but EVERY available address and resell it at even HIGHER rates than these folks... 2. You pay LARGE ammounts of money for the continuation of the great service we all know and love. Meaning you have to justify practically down to the end user to get address space assigned in any reasonable size block. 3. You pay LARGE ammounts of money and have these folks lighten up the rules on assigning addresses and LOTS of address space is wasted because larger than nescessary blocks are assigned simply because the user had the cash for a larger block... (ex: a /16 instead of a /18 because they had a few extra grand and the restrictions have been lightened up a bit) This is a LOSE LOSE LOSE situation.... I am not saying I have the solution.... but I do know that this seems ridiculous.. Remember what happened with the promises from the NIC that once they charged for domain name registrations, they could 1/2 the registration time, and add real customer service... still 4 weeks... still 30 min on hold and when you get someone they cant help you unless they get a supervisor to call you back in 5 days... Given the choice of evils... I would prefer to continue with the current plan.... at least NOBODY is getting ripped off for money and getting a lack of service.... and the ip assignment restrictions are tight... but that is needed until we somehow impliment IPv6 addressing (now who is administering that one!)on the net. ------------------------------------------------- Matthew E. Pearson Vice President of Development Games-Online Inc. http://www.games-online.com