[db-wg] changed-lines in objects.

Shane Kerr wrote:
[...]

> 
> changed: YYYYMMDD <freeform>
> 
> When an object is updated, the value of the "changed:" attribute would
> be checked, and if the first 8 characters were not the date, then the
> date would be inserted.
> 
> This attribute would preserve the useful features of the "changed:"
> attribute:
> 
> - automatic timestamping for users who want it
> - place to put an identifier for the person making the change
> 
> It would solve the problem of having a meaningless e-mail in the
> attribute.
> 
> A further improvement would be to make the attribute optional, since
> it has no strict meaning.
> 
> It does not address the problem that people assume that the "changed:"
> attribute actually properly identifies when an object was changed.  If
> this is desired, then the attribute should be made mandatory, and the
> timestamp always added by the server.  In the past, there has been
> opposition to this idea.
> 
The presenatation of this proposal 
(http://www.ripe.net/ripe/meetings/archive/ripe-40/presentations/timestamping/index.html) 
was made at RIPE 40, but as Shane mentioned was rejected.

Andrei Robachevsky
RIPE NCC