[db-wg] Re: "changed:" attribute

 Steve Atkins <steve at blighty.com> writes:
 * On Mon, Sep 08, 2003 at 03:21:20PM +0100, Rodney Tillotson wrote:
 * > 2.
 * > > Secondly, the query users do not really know what "changed:" attribute
 * > > means. ... most users and automated tools pick anything that resembles
 * > > an email address in the whois query result and send them abuse
 * > > complaints. 
 * > 
 * > The question here is about external presentation; who sees "changed:",
 * > what they are looking for when they see it, what they think it means
 * > and what they do with it.
 * > 
 * > 
 * > The anti-spam WG is preparing a broad proposal, but one early thought
 * > is to provide different database views for the different classes of
 * > user. Casual users looking for contact information in the default
 * > output are an important class, probably not the most well-informed or
 * > patient, and it may be worth suppressing "changed:" in the view they
 * > get. This applies whatever decisions we make about the internal
 * > behaviour or the way LIRs will use the attribute.
 * 
 * That seems like a good idea. Many casual users of the RIPE database do
 * not query it directly, rather through a small number of web-based
 * gateways.  Would it be worth asking the owners of those gateways
 * to filter out the changed field now, to see what effect that has?

But then someone will realise the changed lines are missing and think we are 
hiding something. So they will write a tool to show them and give them even 
more significance.

cheers
denis

 * 
 * Cheers,
 *   Steve
 *