[DBWG] Whois output (was: [Community-Discuss] Questions)

[S. Moonesamy]

Dear Mr Guilmette,

[thread moved to the DBWG mailing list]

At 07:52 PM 24-12-2020, Ronald F. Guilmette wrote:

>Yes, that is one of several problems relating to WHOIS access that need

>to be addressed and fixed.

>

>Another problem is that unlike other object types in the WHOIS data

>base, the full history of person: objects is simply not available.

>

>No rationale and no explanation for this has been provided, even though

>I have asked about it several times now.  Neither has it ever been

>clear on whose authority the decision was made to render the historical

>versions of person: objects inaccessible.


The explanation about the historical information for "person" 
objects, which was provided in 2019, was that it was done for privacy reasons.


>Who decided that it should be so?  Was that decision based on a vote or

>on community direction or community consensus?  Or did AFRINIC staff

>make the decision, unilaterally and on their own, to effectively redact

>the histories of person: objects, without any input from the community?


In 2016, there was a discussion about filtered "Whois output".  It is 
unclear whether the historical versions of the "person" object were 
accessible before 2016.  The message at 
<https://lists.afrinic.net/pipermail/dbwg/2020-December/000286.html> 
refers to a decision which was taken upstream.

Regards,
S. Moonesamy

Board Chair, AFRINIC