Finger tool to get a NIC handle.

[RIPE Database Administration <]

Dear Colleagues,

You can no longer use `finger handle.YOURINITIALS@localhost
to obtain the next free NIC handle.  You will only get a
message about using the `AUTO' NIC-handle mechanism.

This finger tool was shut down because it could give NIC-handles
with more than 4 characters in the initials and more than 11
characters in total.  Furthermore, it placed an unacceptable (and
unnecessary) load on the whois server, particularly at peak times.

Regards,

Ambrose Magee
____________________________
RIPE Database Administration.