Olaf M. Kolkman wrote:

...

Note the hierarchical naming convention for poetic-form objects, all verse

I have a few maintenance questions.

Although my colleagues are technically competent, they have not been hired for their literary skills(*). So although the RIPE DB staff will technically maintain the poetic-form: we still need a mechanism to ensure the quality of the "poetic-form" objects.

Agreed and it was always noted that this was a highly skilled job.

Will RIPE NCC staff need to contact a secret cabal for quality control? Alternatively, will we skip quality control and act on first come first served (serious security considerations: culprits might specify a Haiku in the form of a Dada poem)? Or should a poetic-form first be discussed by the db-wg?

I would suggest that quality control should be managed by a secret cabal as at present with the limerick object. Secret cabals have a long and illustrous history on the internet and have usually resulted in fast, effective decision making albeit at the slight expense of annoying and upsetting large numbers of people (since my email is always bounced by Randy's "no legal disclaimer" filters, I feel perfectly safe in making this remark).

I'd settle for the first option, a secret cabal... I may just know an institution that could perform this task.

I'm sure that they will prove themselves adequate to the task, even though I have no idea who they might be, or even if they exist.

The classification scheme may also need some work. How do we classify the different forms? Would the Aphorism have its own class or is it a subclass of PROSE?

In absence of the review process. Hereby a new proposal

poetic-form: PROSE-APHORISM descr: A database entry to be remembered by admin-c: OK65-RIPE tech-c: OK65-RIPE mnt-by: RIPE-DBM-MNT

As far as the name is concerned this would be perfectly correct, although ending a sentence with a preposition is perhaps to be regarded as slightly suspect style. (One must, though, remember Winston Churchill's comments on the matter). poetic-form: PROSE-APHORISM descr: A database entry by which to be remembered admin-c: OK65-RIPE tech-c: OK65-RIPE mnt-by: RIPE-DBM-MNT Might be slightly better stylistically.

and

poetic-form: VERSE-HAIKU descr: The haiku object descr: only seven syllables descr: in its density admin-c: OK65-RIPE tech-c: OK65-RIPE mnt-by: RIPE-DBM-MNT

This is correct in all respects.

-- Olaf

(*) I am sure I lost credit with my colleagues with this remark but these are matters of high public interest.

Of course. Perhaps we should include an examination of literary skill when engaging RIPE NCC staff. -- Nigel Titley Peering Coordinator, FLAG Telecom +44 20 8564 5812 ********************************************************************** This e-mail message is confidential and is intended only for the use of the individual or entity named above and contains information which is or may be confidential, non-public or legally privileged. Any dissemination or distribution of this message other than to its intended recipient is strictly prohibited. You should not copy it or use it for any purpose nor disclose the contents to any other person. If you have received this message in error, please notify us by email to postmaster@flagtelecom.com immediately and delete the original message and all copies from all locations in your computer systems. This e-mail has been swept by Mailsweeper TM for viruses. However, FLAG Telecom cannot accept liability for any damage which you may sustain as a result of software viruses. ********************************************************************** This message has been scanned for viruses by MailControl - www.mailcontrol.com