Hi!
Thanks for the wise words. Paying a few thousand EURs per year to have a very professional organisation lobbying for our interests worldwide. Maybe many fine lunches, dinners, but even more very professional work! Yes, RIPE is worth every cent.
I don't think anyone is against making sure that Europe is represented in the wide scale, but its not what we, and many others orignally signed up for. And its certainly not something that should be forced upon people. We signed up to the registration services.
When I signed up to the ripe mailing list in mid-1990, there was no registration service, but it was a coordination initiative for IP in Europe. That's OK for us (speaking for de.lfnet and probably for de.oberon as well).
If there had been no RIPE with crystal-clear policies as a very good example of self-gouvernance, many national government regulations would be in place instead -- and it would be a big mess.
Self governance?! There is no governance - there is apathy and the widening remit that the RIPE has been taking is not acceptable.
With the reports, meeting reports etc, my requirements for transparency and cost control are met, I have no problem. -- MfG/Best regards, Kurt Jaeger 17 years to go ! LF.net GmbH fon +49 711 90074-23 pi@LF.net Ruppmannstr. 27 fax +49 711 90074-33 D-70565 Stuttgart mob +49 171 3101372