Re: arin and ops fora (was Re: AltDB?)

[Owen DeLong <owen () delong com>]

On Jan 10, 2011, at 8:23 PM, David Conrad wrote:

> Owen,
>
> On Jan 8, 2011, at 8:56 PM, Owen DeLong wrote:
> > > I suspect part of the issue is that ARIN is a monopoly provider of a variety public services that folks unrelated 
> > > (directly) to ARIN must make use of. In other areas of public service provision, there are things like public 
> > > utilities commissions that  (in theory) ensure the monopoly service provider acts in the public benefit when 
> > > services are added/changed/deleted.  My impression is that the various WGs and SIGs in the other RIRs perform 
> > > something similar to that function.  There doesn't appear to be anything similar in the ARIN region.
> >
> > In ARIN, there are things like BoT elections and the BoT very much fulfills the role of the PUC as you describe 
> > above.
>
> Well, ARIN BoT members are fiduciarily responsible for ARIN. PUC members, to my understanding, are responsible to the 
> public. In my experience on ARIN's board, the key role of the board was to ensure the public policy process was 
> followed, not oversight of how public services are provided.  However, things might have changed -- that was some 
> time ago.  
Yes, ARIN BoT members have fiduciary responsibility for ARIN.

However, the ARIN charter is not the same as most corporations. Indeed, as I understand it, the ARIN charter requires 
that ARIN disband itself if that is determined to be what is in the best interests of the community. The board is 
accountable to the ARIN membership, which includes all subscriber ISPs and others who pay their annual membership dues.

I believe the board both ensures that the public policy process is followed and performs other executive management and 
leadership functions governing the operations of ARIN at a high level. Obviously most of the day-to-day decision making 
for that is vested in the CEO who also sits on the board.

> > People can submit requests for operational changes to ARIN through the ACSP and in my experience they get a good 
> > review
> > and comment period by the community
>
> Which community? ARIN or NANOG?
Those who subscribe to PPML. If you are interested in having a voice in ARIN policies or how ARIN operates, it's 
essential to be on that list.

> > and the board listens to these things and responds appropriately.
>
> Somewhat as an aside, I'm a bit surprised the board would get involved at the level of detail this implies.  I 
> would've thought how public services are to be provided would be an operational decision made by the ARIN CEO/staff 
> and that the board would only get involved to ensure sufficient resources were available.
For the most part, it is. However, if the community is asking for something ARIN isn't doing or pushing for ARIN to 
change how it does something, the board tends to at least review the matter. 

> > Especially if a
> > suggestion receives significant support, it tends to get implemented.
>
> My impression of the concern is that the definition of support and decisions regarding what gets implemented are made 
> within a subset of the network operations community.
Anyone who wants to participate can join the mailing list and do so. I'm not sure how you would extend it to a wider 
group without seriously diminishing returns.

Owen