[AfriNIC-rpd] Definitions of LIR versus End User

[Owen DeLong]

On Jul 21, 2012, at 12:34 PM, Andrew Alston wrote:

> Hi All,
> 
> I've been sitting thinking about this a fair bit, and perhaps we do need a very close look at the fee structure, that being said, under the way that AfriNIC works, the fees are the domain of the board rather than the community, hence the community is left with policy only options should they feel the fee structures aren't working for them (Well, thats my understanding, someone can correct me if I'm wrong).
> 

I have found that the board members are all generally easily approachable and willing to discuss such things. If you find a board member that is not open to community input in guiding their decisions on such matters, I would suggest that you have found a board member that should be replaced at the next opportunity.

> Now, this leads to the next question.  Why are AfriNIC fees what they are.  I will be the first to state, that AfriNIC has to be financially viable, the organization HAS to generate enough revenue to sustain itself, that being said, I think below we can look at the fee structures in any coherent way, we need to understand certain things.  Therefore, I want to ask AfriNIC, in the name of transparency, to provide certain information which I have been unable to find on the website, so that the community as a whole can analyse this.
> 
> a.) How many LIR's are there in each category of membership
> b.) How many End Users are there in each category of membership.
> 
> Once we have answers to (a) and (b) we can potentially start looking at shifting costs if necessary from one to the other (in particular on the annual maintenance basis)
> 

In any such activity, one is likely to encounter resistance from the ones cost is being shifted to unless one identifies a disenfranchised group onto which one can attempt to shift said costs.

I would advocate that great care be taken not to do this in such a way as to unfairly disadvantage an under-represented segment of the internet ecosystem.

Owen