-----Original Message----- From: mike.norris@heanet.ie [mailto:mike.norris@heanet.ie] Sent: 17 April 2000 16:18 To: 'Gareth Staff'; lir-wg@ripe.net Subject: RE: RIPE NCC Issues
My primary concern is the current turnover of hostmasters that deal with all of our requests. A high turnover of staff is almost always a result of poor management, and unless this is addressed, all other issues become secondary.
I appreciate your concerns, but you may be going out on a limb with assumptions and implications like the above. Recruitment of hostmasters is a long-standing feature of RIPE NCC, as they try to cope with the rising demand for service from existing and new LIRs. We members who adopt the annual plan of RIPE NCC invariably get it wrong, underpredict growth rate and leave management with the task of trying to catch up and fill the gaps.
Right now, there is a slow-down in the service, due largely to a sudden and large upsurge in the number of requests; this has happened in a time frame much shorter than that associated with hostmaster recruitment, so there has been a shortfall in resources to deal with the demand.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that RIPE NCC couldn't do better, or that this is UUnet's fault as a member. Indeed, UUnet has always been more than exemplary in its role as an active member of RIPE NCC, to the benefit of the rest of us; your concern in this instance is witness to that. But it's not right to say that RIPE NCC management does not give top priority to its core business as the regional IP registry, nor is it fair to imply that such management is poor.
Point taken :o) I will bide my time as far as further comments go, and will await developments.
Regards.
Mike Norris
Regards, Gareth Staff.