[ncc-services-wg] Update - RIPE Database Proxy Service Issues

Hi Axel,

>> I fully understand the
>> need for the RIPE Database Proxy Service Agreement, but not for
>> forcing them to become members. The members voted for the "one LIR,
>> one fee" charging scheme, but I don't understand that something that
>> was never even related to being a member now suddenly becomes a
>> member-only service. Why was the choice made to make it a member-only
>> service *and* require a RIPE Database Proxy Service Agreement as
>> well? Why not just the latter?
> 
> The thought was to have all as simple as possible, "one LIR, one fee,
> one contract."
> Clearly, with 20/20 hindsight, that was "te kort door de bocht," a step
> too far, too quickly.

As far as I can tell it was never even a conscious decision :-)
See below.

>> I checked
>> the Executive Board meeting minutes
>> (http://www.ripe.net/lir-services/ncc/executive-board/minutes) but I
>> can't find anything after August 2nd, which was before the last AGM.
> 
> You're right. Now they are online; as you pointed out, they should have
> been already.

Thanks!

Reading them I notice that the only resolution that mentions the proxy service is: "The Resolution, stating "The Executive Board resolves to not charge a sign-up fee for contract holders of any of the following services: DNSmon, TTM, NRTM, DAUs and Proxy service that become members" was unanimously accepted by the Board."

I don't see an explicit decision that the proxy service is a member-only service in those minutes.

There is a sentence in the minutes that states "The following services will from 2013 onwards only be available for members (members-only): DNSmon, TTM, NRTM, DAUs and Proxy service." under the heading "Implementation of the Charging Scheme 2013". It seems to day that making those services members-only is a direct consequence of the implementation of the charging scheme, but the 2013 charging scheme document adopted by the members (http://www.ripe.net/lir-services/ncc/gm/september-2012/documents/ripe-ncc-charging-scheme-2013-option-a) doesn't mention the proxy service at all. It says: "Non-members that are currently charged fees for using specific services such as DNSMON and NRTM, as well as Direct Assignment Users, must also become members". As the proxy service was never a service for which fees were charged it shouldn't have been included in the interpretation.

As far as I can tell including the proxy service as a members-only service comes from a misinterpretation of the charging scheme. 

To summarise: The charging scheme explicitly doesn't say that the proxy service is a member-only service. Including it as a member-only service was a misinterpretation, and the board only decided that proxy service users don't have to pay a signup fee *if* they become members, but didn't decide that they *have* to become members (but probably assumed they had to be, given the misinterpretation).

So if I read everything correctly then proxy service users don't have to become members, but if they do then they don't have to pay a signup fee :-)

Anyway, everything has already been resolved by not requiring proxy service users to become members and to discuss topic this at the next GM. And I am glad to see that this was caused by a simple human mistake / misinterpretation. You can never completely prevent those from happening :-)

Thanks,
Sander