FYI: RIPE DB and Domain Names

------- Forwarded Message

Date:     Mon, 15 Jan 1996 10:23:15 +0100
From:     Daniel Karrenberg <Daniel.Karrenberg at ripe.net>
Sender:   dfk at ripe.net
To:       Domain registration staff <hostmaster at sztaki.hu>
cc:       ripe-op at ripe.net
Subject:  Unauthorized modifications of RIPEDB 


  > Domain registration staff <hostmaster at sztaki.hu> writes:
  > Dear NCC,
  > 
  > 
  > Last week the following new 219 domains appeared in RIPEDB.
  > I can't believe that all of European TLD administrators
  > registered this domains at the same time. Moreover with and without CO.

There are two basic problems here:

1) Confusion about the role of the RIPE database in *domain names*.  The
database is not authoritative about domain names.  It is just
informational for these.  The authoritative registry of domain names for
TLDs is kept by TLD administrators.  They are encouraged use the ripe
database to make their registry accessible.  This is *not* mandatory. 

2) Lack of authorisation in the RIPE database for the *creation* of objects.
As David Kessens has pointed out already we are working on this. Once
this is implemented TLD administrators can control the creation of objects
within their namespace. This is the top priority database development item 
at the moment.

We are also working on a simple referral method so that TLD administrators
can run their own whois services, as the NL TLD administrator does.

Until these problems are solved the RIPE database can be nothing more than
informational about TLDs. Oncve they are solved TLD administrators have
the means to keep their data clean if they wish.

Daniel

------- End of Forwarded Message