Subject: Re: [ifwp] Vixie/BIND: Dangerous Combination

From: Jim Dixon <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 23:24:48 +0000 (GMT)

On Mon, 16 Nov 1998, Bob Allisat wrote:

> John Reynolds wrote:
> > Since most DNS administrators run BIND without modifying the db.cache
> > file and consequently 'subscribe' to whatever is listed therein, this
> > means that de facto control of the DNS root rests with Paul Vixie.
> 
>  Another frightening thought

Scarcely.  We have at the moment two choices for managing the DNS root:
Network Solutions Inc, who currently operate a.root-servers.net, and 
ICANN, who have petitioned the US government to be allowed to take over
operational control of the root.  While NSI has done a decent job, when
all is said and done I find it hard to feel comfortable with them in 
charge of the root.  However, ICANN is at this moment a complete unknown.

But Paul Vixie is known to be reliable, trustworthy, and honest.  I for
one would be happy with a solution that involved turning over day to day
operational management of the root name servers to him, at least until
ICANN has enough of a track record for us to trust it -- perhaps in a
year or two in other words.

--
Jim Dixon                                                 Managing Director
VBCnet GB Ltd                http://www.vbc.net        tel +44 117 929 1316
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Member of Council                               Telecommunications Director
Internet Services Providers Association                       EuroISPA EEIG
http://www.ispa.org.uk                              http://www.euroispa.org
tel +44 171 976 0679                                    tel +32 2 503 22 65

---

From: Jim Dixon <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 23:24:48 +0000 (GMT)

---

From: "Roeland M.J. Meyer" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 16:17:22 -0800

>But Paul Vixie is known to be reliable, trustworthy, and honest.  I for

In some cases, brutally honest, I might add. Also, somewhat terse,
abrasive, and of strong convictions of what is "right". These are not
negative qualities, unless one wants to run for elective office. They also
make him entirely predictable. Personally, I find him admirable, and well
suited for the CTO slot. If you could ever get him to take the job. I would
think him a better candidate than Postel ever was.

>year or two in other words.

___________________________________________________ 
Roeland M.J. Meyer, ISOC (InterNIC RM993) 
e-mail: <mailto:[email-masked]>[email-masked]
Internet phone: hawk.mhsc.com
Personal web pages: <http://www.mhsc.com/~rmeyer>www.mhsc.com/~rmeyer
Company web-site: <http://www.mhsc.com/>www.mhsc.com/
___________________________________________ 
 Who is John Galt?
 "Atlas Shrugged" - Ayn Rand

---

From: "Roeland M.J. Meyer" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 16:17:22 -0800

---

From: "Perry E. Metzger" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 20:35:50 -0500

> think him a better candidate than Postel ever was.

In any case, he is quite a reasonable candidate given the available
population.

Perry

---

From: "Perry E. Metzger" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 20:35:50 -0500

Perry

---

From: "Roeland M.J. Meyer" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 20:58:37 -0800

>In any case, he is quite a reasonable candidate given the available

I don't know if you realize that I *wasn't* being sarcastic. I honestly
believe Paul would be a good choice. If anyone knows what needs "fixing" at
the root-servers it is Paul. Likewise he is a good IP-block meister. One
could do many times worse than putting the BIND-master in charge of the
root-servers.

---

From: "Roeland M.J. Meyer" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 20:58:37 -0800

---

From: "Eric S. Raymond" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 01:08:54 -0500

> could do many times worse than putting the BIND-master in charge of the

I agree.  Paul Vixie would indeed be an excellent candidate.
-- 
		<a href="http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr">Eric S. Raymond</a>

Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies
to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule--and
both commonly succeed, and are right... The United States
has never developed an aristocracy really disinterested or an
intelligentsia really intelligent. Its history is simply a record
of vacillations between two gangs of frauds. 
	--- H. L. Mencken

---

From: "Eric S. Raymond" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 01:08:54 -0500

---

From: Jeff Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 01:02:21 +0000

Roeland and all,

  It would be a big mistake in my mind to have only one person in complete
control of any important resource as the A.Root.server or the ".", for that
matter
any of the other Root servers.  But in charge of "The Rppt" is a particularly
dangerous situation indeed for very obvious reasons irrespective of their
honesty or trustworthiness.

Roeland M.J. Meyer wrote:

> __________________________________________________
> To view the archive of this list, go to:
> http://lists.interactivehq.org/scripts/lyris.pl?enter=ifwp
>
> To receive the digest version instead, send a
> blank email to [email-masked]
>
> To SUBSCRIBE forward this message to:
> [email-masked]
>
> To UNSUBSCRIBE, forward this message to:
> [email-masked]
>
> Problems/suggestions regarding this list? Email [email-masked].
> ___END____________________________________________

 Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail [email-masked]
Contact Number:  972-447-1894

---

From: Jeff Williams <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 01:02:21 +0000

Roeland and all,

 Regards,