[atlarge-discuss] Re: Poll (was Re: [atlarge-discuss] Re: Recordings ofAmsterdam Meetings and PROPOSAL)

[espresso@e-scape.net]

At 01:34 +1300 2002/12/21, Joop Teernstra wrote:
>>Thank you, and I invite panel members to SECOND the proposal if they
>>wish.
>
>Richard, as a member you can run an informal Poll in the
>resurrected  www.icannatlarge.com/forum
>Such a poll can be announced to all 235 Forum registrants.

Joop, I'm afraid I can't see that as a proper substitute for a
vote by all ICANNatlarge.org's 1000+ registered members (or
however many of them choose to cast a vote). Richard's point
is that ICANNatlarge.org needs to know what its members want
the organization to do:

>>To deny the membership a vote on this would indicate to many that an
>>installed leadership is running scared of the views of its own
>>membership. >> I really urge the panel to give the membership the
>>natural right to
>> determine the future direction of the organisation on this crucial
>>issue. >> Either we're democratic or we're not.

and I'm in complete agreement with him on that.

I tend also to agree with the rest of what he said but what's crucial
is that the organization define its mission based on what its
members want to do, so as to be able to incorporate, organize and
get on with the job.

>The website supervisory Panel has never been given the mandate to
>determine
>the direction of the organization without consultation of the
>membership.
>If they try, the members will declare their "independence" from them.

To the best of my knowledge, ICANNatlarge.org doesn't have a
"website supervisory Panel" but

a) an Interim Panel elected to bring the group from a loose
association of people talking about stuff to a real organization
of Internet users, capable of doing something useful about lack of
democracy in Internet administration and governance

and

b) a Web Working Group which is supposed to be developing
working procedures and materials for the ICANNatlarge.org
Web site

among other WGs.

In practice, it appears the Panel Chair, Vittorio, constituted
himself the WG-Web chair and decided to make certain changes
to the site with or without approval from anyone else.

In practice, it appears that there really isn't such a thing
as ICANNatlarge.org, despite the many thousands of person-hours
dedicated to creating one. There are merely some individuals
who have opinions on what ICANNatlarge.org should become -- a
few of whom are eager to determine by democratic means, once
and for all, what the membership as a whole wants to do, and
another few of whom have decided to do as they please without
reference to the membership or the need for anything like
democracy.

We are now a few days past the cutoff-date I set for myself
to decide whether it would be worthwhile spending any more
time and effort on this so-called ICANNatlarge.org and,
most unfortunately, nothing in this recent revival of the
discussion indicates that any progress will be made.

I am still interested in a democratic voice for Internet users.
I no longer believe the Panel will allow this organization to
become one, there being absolutely no evidence that they are
any fonder of democracy than Denise Michel and the ICANN Board.

I will continue to follow the discussions a little longer in
case I'm mistaken but ... I guess it would make more sense
to chalk this one up to experience and see what I can
usefully contribute in other contexts.

Regards,

Judyth


##########################################################
Judyth Mermelstein     "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
Montreal, QC           <espresso@e-scape.net>
##########################################################
"A word to the wise is sufficient. For others, use more."
"Un mot suffit aux sages; pour les autres, il en faut plus."
##########################################################



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