[db-wg] Removing personal data from bulk output from the RIPE Database

* denis at ripe.net

> Unfortunately no dump will help you with this process. The "changed:"
> attribute is almost useless. For what you want to do it IS useless. The
> syntax requires all objects to have at least one mandatory "changed:"
> attribute. The user can set the date to almost anything. It can be
> tomorrow or ten years ago. When the object is changed, there is no
> requirement to make any changes to this date or add any additional
> "changed:" attributes. It is user generated and only has meaning to the
> user. What you want to do would only work if these were auto generated
> timestamps by the update software. But that is not the case.

That may be so. But to turn it around - are you of the opinion that the
LIRs to a great extent are deliberately supplying incorrect changed
dates? If "no", it would be good enough for me, really. For my uses, an
approximation will suffice.

To be honest, I would actually be more concerned about the number being
wrong because of LIRs assigning addresses to their customers without
registering the assignments in the database, than I would be about LIRs
registering their assignments, but with incorrect dates.

BTW - the update software *does* generate time stamps. At least, I
always send only my e-mail address, the bot does the rest.

Tore