[db-wg] Whois changes

Hi,

IMHO preferable solution  is to modify "changed:"  attribute format:
changed: <e-mail address>
with automatically  generated timestamp.

Such modification also allows exclude  errors like "changed:"
attribute order, updates  with untouched "changed:" etc.

Best regards,

        Rimas Janusauskas,
        Vilnius University Hostmaster



On Wed, 11 May 2005, Shane Kerr wrote:

> Date: Wed, 11 May 2005 10:13:31 +0200
> From: Shane Kerr <shane at ripe.net>
> To: Erics <EricS at t-com.net>
> Cc: db-wg at ripe.net
> Subject: Re: [db-wg] Whois changes
>
> Erics wrote:
>
> >Hi,
> >
> >i think this is a good idea.
> >The default output should show the last changed date.
> >This could be very helpful for LIRs.
> >
> >
> It is easy for users who need this information to get it -- add the "-B"
> flag to your query. Also, most users of the database are not LIRs.
>
> Relying on the "changed:" attribute to know when objects were updated
> has the problem that there is no error checking on it. A user can put
> almost any "changed:" value that they want. I could update my person
> object today to have this value:
>
> changed: ripe-dbm at ripe.net 19901215
>
> I think in the past people have suggested a "reliable" timestamp on
> objects in the database, but other people have argued against it.
>
> One suggestion was to add an optional attribute with a reliable
> timestamp that would get generated by the database. This way, if it is
> there you can trust it, but if it is not then you must rely on
> "changed:" attributes or do without any information.
>
> --
> Shane
>
>