Since this statement is very much obviously in the context of IPv6, why should it mention IPv4, or point out that "differently from the rest of the document, we're only talking about IPv6 here"?
The IPv6 policy document was a global project so it reflects the overall basis on which an IPv6 policy was started. In other words, that statement about addresses not being freehold property refers to IPv4 and says that IPv6 is just the same, not freehold property which an organization can buy or sell.
I don't see a "huge lack of consensus".
Count the messages in the Address Policy WG archive discussing 2007-08 since June. That is what I consider to be a huge lack of consensus.
Then I did see one individual waving the ETNO flag (which has no significance to RIPE policy processes, btw - it's "individuals taking part in the discussion" not "I represent a bigger organization that you"), fundamentally opposing anything, without being willing to start a constructive dialogue or listen to the proposer's arguments.
Which is one of the big problems with the ETNO folks - they brew their statements outside the RIPE processes, and since the statements are already finished when they are presented here, they can't adjust their position. Which is not the way to constructively go about changing policies.
This is not very constructive dialog and I am disturbed to see a WG chair writing this kind of stuff. A. I did not wave the ETNO flag. I merely repeated one point that ETNO had raised, along with one point from Eric Schmidt, one from Jay Daley, and one from Per Heldal. All of these points come from the message of Sander Steffann which he posted on June 13th and for which I provided the URL in my first message. B. When you asked for specific issues I decided to clarify with more than a reference to Sander's message. I pointed out some specific issues which have not yet been resolved, and which, I believe, cannot be resolved. C. Regardless of how ETNO reaches the positions in its position papers, the fact is that they do publish them. This means that we need to take them into consideration if we consider the RIPE process to be open and transparent. I note that people from at least two other ETNO members (France Telecom and Deutsche Telekom) also posted to this list, i.e. they took part in the discussion. Rather than insulting people because they happen to work for a company which happens to be a member of ETNO, we should be making greater attempts to engage them in the discussion here. I've done a bit of that, which is why FT and DT have participated a bit, but I believe that the main responsibility for bringing people into the discussion falls on the WG chairs. The fact remains that you cannot reach a consensus without an active discussion. --Michael Dillon