[db-wg] RIPE Database: Cleaning-up Organisation Names in "descr:"

Dear Tim, RIPE NCC, Working-Group,

On Thu, Apr 28, 2016 at 05:11:02PM +0200, Tim Bruijnzeels wrote:
> If we perform the clean-up that was proposed your organisation name
> will be removed from "descr:" in your resource objects. But note that
> this *only* applies to 'top-level' objects: i.e. allocations or
> assignments you received from the RIPE NCC - not e.g. assignments done
> under a PA allocation. And we only perform the clean-up if the
> "descr:" exactly matches the organisation name - that RIPE NCC was
> enforcing.
> 
> You can already update the "descr:" for assignments (PI and ASN) you
> received. If you change the "descr:" to something other than the
> organisation name they will not be touched.
> 
> Until now it has not been possible to update "descr:" for allocation
> objects. So if we would run the clean-up today that would mean that
> all allocation objects end up with no "descr:" attributes. You would
> however still be able to find your objects, because they have a
> reference to your organisation object (and your organisation object
> has your organisation name).
> 
> We are currently working on deprecating the object editors, so you
> will be able to edit the "descr:" attribute for allocations within a
> few weeks from now. After this work is done, you will be able to
> update your "descr:" of allocation objects as well.
> 
> As mentioned earlier the clean-up was reverted and has been postponed.
> We can run it again on 9 May, but only if the working group co-chairs
> call consensus. We can also postpone the clean-up until after the
> object editors are deprecated and people have had a chance to update
> the "descr:" on their allocation objects. We can also cancel the
> clean-up if the working group feels this is better.

After reviewing the contributions made regarding this topic, we see no
reason not to proceed with the 'descr:' cleanup. RIPE NCC, please
schedule a window in which the clean-up will be done.

Some have argued on this mailing list "leave my data alone" - however,
since RIPE NCC Registration Services has been enforcing the content of
this attribute, it was never 'ours' to begin with. By doing this
clean-up we have the equivalent of someone relinquishing control and
taking their ball home. Various people have expressed their concern that
by not cleaning up the existing (enforced) "descr:' lines, the data
become stale over time and thus deteriorate the quality of the database.
This one-off clean-up addresses that concern.

Overloading the "descr:" attribute to forcibly contain the proper legal
name has always been considered a temporary hack. After this clean-up
everyone is free to put in the "descr:" attribute whatever they want.

Kind regards,

Job
DB-WG Co-chair