Re: Abuse procedures... Reality Checks

[Joseph S D Yao <jsdy () center osis gov>]

On Tue, Apr 10, 2007 at 03:11:31PM +0100, michael.dillon () bt com wrote:
...
> Yes there are. The current whois returns way more information on a query
> than you need for network operations. That's because the current whois
> was designed back in the 1970's so that ARPANET network managers could
> identify all the users of the network in order to help them make the
> business case for their budget requests to cover the cost of high-speed
> 56k frame relay links.


Mike, that's twice in two days that you've made that assertion.  I don't
remember any financial administrator in those days that would have
accepted WHOIS output as justification for anything.  I do remember,
however, that those "high-speed" 9600 baud and 56Kb links were point-to-
point and went down a lot.  And so what I remember the WHOIS entries
being used for was:


...
> In my opinion, the purpose and scope of such a directory is to provide
> contact info for people who are ready, willing and able to communicate
> regarding network operations and interconnect issues and who are able to
> act on that communication. All contact info should be verified with the
> contactee who must EXPLICITLY agree to have the info published. All
> contact info will be verified periodically (maybe every 4 months?) by
> out-of band means, i.e. the directory operator will keep track of
> individual email addresses and phone numbers for role account managers. 
...


so that we could contact the person at the other end who was responsible
for and knowledgable of their side of the network connection, to fix it.
At o-dark-thirty, if necessary.

Unfortunately, the way WHOIS is maintained these days, this can no
longer be trusted.

Note: at the time, I was a bit younger and did not often encounter
financial managers, so it's possible some might have accepted WHOIS
output.  But most people thought computers were some weird thing out
THERE [point in random direction], and would sooner have accepted a
hand-written note than one printed on a TTY33 or chain printer.


-- 
Joe Yao
Analex Contractor