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objects, I was wondering if they were removed due to spam issues or=20 something, since they're accessible through normal whois.ripe.net=20 query's (which are bound to massive querying limits). Could someone shed some light into this matter?

Afaik they where removed because people used them for mass marketing (thus including spam).

Exactly. There's probably more than one way to still do what you think is useful or necessary: - try to select from the inet[6]num split files those entries which are "interesting" and query the contacts from the live DB (subject to Q limits - see next bullet) - talk to the DB operators (ripe-dbm@ripe.net), explain to them what you inted to do, and why, and get an exemption from the Q-limit - talk to the DB operators and explain what your want to do, and why, and ask for access to the "missing" person,... split file. This might solve your problem if you want to perform a snapshot analsys - if you want to run your analysis on a more regular basis, then getting an NRTM[1] set up at your site might be a better solution. This requires a formal agreement with the NCC about the DO's and DON'Ts, again talk to ripe-dbm. [1] Near(ly) Real Time Mirror. Hth, Wilfried ( https://cert.aco.net/ ) _________________________________:_____________________________________ Wilfried Woeber : e-mail: Woeber@CC.UniVie.ac.at UniVie Computer Center - ACOnet : Tel: +43 1 4277 - 140 33 Universitaetsstrasse 7 : Fax: +43 1 4277 - 9 140 A-1010 Vienna, Austria, Europe : RIPE-DB: WW144, PGP keyID 0xF0ACB369 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~:~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ...there's no place like 127.0.0.1 (or 0::1/128 ?)