My point is that if the NNS is prepared to weaken the IC Target Topology here and there (rather than maintain, or strengthen it over time), then it’s anyone’s guess what decentralisation safeguards we’ll have in several years time (with more demand). I don’t think that’s good at all, and it’s why I’d like to see a more rigorously specified topology which we can depend on. Demand, and relative availability of nodes, is not static with respect to any subnet.
I’d support a proposal that redefines the IC Target Topology as a set of tolerances that apply to all subnets, with special cases only when they make sense for the right reasons (as is currently the case as you mention), i.e.
- Larger subnets can manage slightly more forgiving tolerances on less critical dimensions
- Subnets with specific roles where the role directly relates to a dimension (e.g. country and regulatory compliance)
If some dimensions really are less important in general, the standard tolerances can express that.
This would be a good opportunity to represent Continent, and possibly ISP, as additional dimensions.
It would also be an opportunity to address the out-of-date records.