Dear all, I am sending this e-mail with the purpose of stating the position of the Computer Networks Research Group (in the following CNRG) at Roma Tre University about the AS-SET experiments. This mail covers only organization issues and is not on technical stuff. We shall address technical problems in a separate e-mail in the next few days. Until now, the relationship between RIS and CNRG has been maintained by Lorenzo. We have complete confidence in Lorenzo and he will continue to be the interface between our two groups. This e-mail does not intend to bypass him. 1. A group of researchers at CNRG, including Lorenzo, has developed new techniques for network discovery, at BGP level. Several experiments have already been done in the labs and in the ipv6 network. 2. We were interested in carrying on experiments on the ipv4 network. 3. Lorenzo discussed the issue with people at RIS. There was an agreement to use 84.205.73.0/24 and 84.205.89.0/24, originated in AS12654, for the experiments. 4. Around Feb 20 Lorenzo prepared an e-mail to be sent to a couple of mailing lists announcing the experiments. The e-mail was explicitely approved by, at least, Henk, Arife, Shane. 5. The e-mail was sent on Feb 25 to a large audience. There were a few reactions. 6. We scheduled the experiments for Feb 28- Mar 1. 7. Since we knew that the experiments could have been perceived with some suspect from the network operators, we decided to be more cautious than the RIS itself. Hence, we asked further advice by calling people at RIS on Feb 28. The answer was essentially: "people shouldn't get upset". Also, we decided to post an even more explicit message on the nanog mailing list. 8. There were many reactions, most negative. 9. Henk decided to stop the experiments. I fully agree with the decision. I do not agree with the contents of the e-mail that was sent at nanog. In my opinion the e-mail put in a bad light Lorenzo, CNRG, and RIS: - Lorenzo was presented as an "overenthusiastic student" that behaves irresponsibly. This is clearly not true (see above). - CNRG and RIS are presented as a light-heart organizations that put extremely important issues in the hands of a student without control. I also disagree on the method. Since Lorenzo was in charge of announcing the experiments, he was the one to announce their cancellation. Sincerely, Pino