RIPE NCC Issues

To put some perspective on my position within UUNET, Stephen Burley
frequently actions my requests for address space for new and developing
countries within Europe.

I have been observing the current discussions on this workgroup with
increasing alarm.

It is my understanding that RIPE is a function that is necessary for the
intelligent control of limited address space, and that the RIPE NCC
management team are responsible for the operations that go into
allocating this address space.

Furthermore, RIPE is made up of numerous business interests and that
the RIPE NCC is, in effect, employed by these businesses for the express
purpose of handling their IP address requests.

Since there are many issues that have been raised (and I have yet to
see a constructive response from the RIPE NCC management) I feel
it necessary to ask the question..

Who does the RIPE NCC management answer to ?

>From a business perspective, something which seems to be lacking from the
responses that I have seen, there has to be someone responsible for the
policies
of the RIPE NCC management. I would sincerely hope that it is the members of
RIPE that the RIPE NCC must answer to, and that the forum for these policies
must be this mailing list.

If this is the case, then I see little value in the service being offered at
the moment,
and would like to see some positive emails on what the RIPE NCC can do to
help
alleviate the problems that we are all seeing.

My primary concern is the current turnover of hostmasters that deal with all
of our requests.
A high turnover of staff is almost always a result of poor management, and
unless this
is addressed, all other issues become secondary.

There are staffing problems in all organisations, from obtaining the
services of suitable
candidates for the post, to staff retention. If the RIPE NCC are having
trouble in this area,
then perhaps they should request the help of the members of RIPE, all of
whom have many
years of experience.

I would like to see the RIPE NCC being more open to these discussions, and
honest about
any problems that they are having. I really do not think it is acceptable to
act as though we,
as members of the RIPE community, do not have a right to know what is going
on within
the organisation and to promote a closed door policy as far as information
is concerned.

After all, who pays the bills ?

Accountability for the services offered must be clarified if positive action
is to be taken, I would
not like to see these issues ignored and swept under the carpet, otherwise
we face the prospect
of having an organisation that we pay for, doesn't work for us, and
implements internal policies
that alienates its' staff to the point where they feel that their only
option is to leave.

This is something that all members of the community must take seriously and
take some time
to address if we are to effect some improvement in services.

Yours sincerely,

Gareth Staff.
Program Manager, EMEA Operations
UUNET (An MCI WorldCom company)
gareths at uk.uu.net/gstaff at uu.net