[address-policy-wg] RIPE != RIPE NCC

On 10 Jun 2015, at 12:38, Storch Matei <matei at profisol.ro> wrote:

> "For a start, it's totally impossible to define who is entitled to vote, and
> how you get a represenative part of the community to actually vote" -
> really?

RIPE has no concept of membership and therefore cannot vote. It works by consensus. In fact voting is utterly impractical since it is impossible to determine who could or couldn't vote  or how often they could do that.

> RIPE members should vote, since they are the ones affected, they are
> the ones telling the RIPE NCC how to act (at least that's my understanding -
> RIPE NCC works FOR RIPE, RIPE which is made of members of EQUAL rights and
> obligations).

You seem confused.

RIPE NCC is a Dutch non-profit organisation funded by members who pay annual fees. In return for those fees, they get various services from the RIPE NCC. Members also elect the board and vote on its activity plan and charging scheme at the AGM.

RIPE is an open community of people and organisations who are interested in IP-based networking (and related matters), mostly in Europe and the Middle East. It does not have a legal identity. RIPE works by consensus. It does not vote. It does not have any formal membership structure and therefore does not have members in the same way that RIPE NCC has members. These things are deliberate.

RIPE develops various policies which RIPE NCC then implement. If the RIPE NCC membership feel that RIPE policies are not in the best interests of the RIPE NCC (membership), they can  use the RIPE NCC's bye-laws to do something about that: replace board members, call a GM, reject the activity plan or fee structure, pass resolutions, etc, etc.