Re: Implications of NSI *Skunkworks* Rul ing

[Jim Dixon <jdd@matthew.uk1.vbc.net>]

On Mon, 1 Dec 1997, Dave Crocker / IMC wrote:

> >negative.  The reaction of ISPA UK's members was simple indifference;
> >people regarded it as overly complex and flawed.  The ISPA UK Council
> >did vote on it.  The vote was not to sign the MOU.
> >
> >Why am I personally not helping to make it happen?  Because I think that
> >the gTLD MOU is seriously flawed.  Because I talked to you, to David 
> 
> Which was it, Jim?  Either they were indifferent or they were critical.

Well, my personal reaction at the time was that the issue had been made 
unnecessarily complex, that it was presented in such a way that it would
take longer to reach a decision that its importance warranted.  

You have to remember that my viewpoint is basically that of an ISP.
The DNS is something that works and works very well indeed.  We were
presented with a complicated proposal to change it.  The people who
looked into it more carefully were not comfortable with it.

That is, people were indifferent and critical at the same time.

> Your statement implies they were both.  (My own experience is of
> indifference from most ISPs, since they don't suffer or benefit either way.)

If the DNS is destabilized, ISPs will suffer.  We will get thousands
of telephone calls from irritated customers.  Our lives are dominated
by very tight feedback loops.  If we screw up, everybody knows it and
everybody complains about it.  Immediately.

> >Maher, to Robert Shaw, to Albert Tramposch, and I found that all of 
> >you were far more interested in talking your program than correcting
> >its flaws.  
> 
> That's why there have been so many changes to points about which rough
> consensus has been clear.  Unwillingness to make the changes desired by one
> person have other explanations than not wanting to correct flaws.

Yes they do.  But this is also a way to trivialize disagreements.  If
you can't answer criticisms, you attack the person making the criticism.
 
> >In any complex, messy situation there is someone with a quick solution.
> >Their fundamental argument is usually "you got a better idea?"  No, Dave,
> >I don't.  But your quick solution isn't good enough.
> 
> What an interesting approach to solving critical operations problems.
> Can't think of a better solution?  Oh well then.  Let the monopoly reign.
> Let the net die.  Whatever...

The Net is not going to die.  There are other solutions to the monopoly
problem.

--
Jim Dixon                                                 Managing Director
VBCnet GB Ltd                http://www.vbc.net        tel +44 117 929 1316
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