* David Farmer
I believe the primary definition of fairness the RIR communities have been using is, "only those that have *verified operational need* get Internet number resources".
Do you have a link or reference? (Tried Google, no hits.)
Furthermore, I believe that now that everyone's operational need can no longer be meet, a state of scarcity, that fairness is doubly important. How does verified operational need provide fairness in a state of scarcity? If someone without verified operational need were to receive Internet number resources, presumably through a transfer, and you have verifiable operational need that can no longer be meet; it would add insult to injury that someone without that verifiable operational need receives Internet number resources when you can't. Therefore, verifying operational need for transfers, still provides some minimal amount of fairness to those that are not going to receive Internet number resources.
Let me get this straight, are you saying here that our current goal of fairness in our current state of scarcity is to protect the *feelings* of the LIRs who return home from the second-hand market empty-handed? (Currently 96-97% of them.) In a similar vein, and somewhat tongue in cheek: If you're trying to buy an apartment, but get outbid by someone, do you get upset unless you can see some proof that guy did buy it plans on moving in there? Or do you assume that's probably the case and move on? Tore