Hi Terry, [snip]
6. Address transfers should EITHER be enabled immediately, OR only enabled after particular criteria have been met - For example, once APNIC has reached its last /8 - (To be decided)That reminds me, James - what specifically are your concerns that may lead to a detrimental impact on the community?
My feeling is that defining a value to a commodity by opening a market while that commodity is still incredibly subsidized via an official process, is a bad thing.
I'll draw the comparison to the final years (and fall) of the Soviet Union, the government always kept prices artificially low, which was fine, but when markets and trading were permitted (or at least a blind eye was turned), it created the situation of mass shortages of goods. People could buy them at the government subsidized prices, sell them on the local market or internationally (if they were brave) and the end result was that supply of subsidized goods all but dried up and people that actually wanted/needed them couldn't get them.
If an open a market for address space exists while we are still allocating subsidized resources this is bound to create illegitimate demand, stockpiling and speculation.
I personally can't see a legitimate reason for my business to buy resource via a transfer if APNIC is still allocating address space. I'm open to hear from others who can ?
In conclusion, it seems the most prudent course of action is to create the market when it is actually needed and when the side effects of such a market will no longer be of importance.
Cheers, -- James(who often checks ebay for the mythological /24s for sale, but never seen one)