[atlarge-discuss] [Sotiris' comments]Re: Potential input on ICANN reform

[Sotiris Sotiropoulos <sotiris@hermesnetwork.com>]

Denise et al.,**Draft 1.0**

> As ICANN’s Evolution and Reform Committee and Board of
> Directors considers changing the corporation’s policy
> and decision making structures and processes, as well as
> other operational elements, we ask that you take into
> account the progress and promise of our At-Large
> organizing efforts. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
> "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
> We are members of the newly formed “At-Large Organizing
> Committee” and we represent “At-Large Structures” that
> have been formed, or designated, throughout the world to
> provide meaningful, informed participation by Internet
> users in ICANN.In response to the Board's decision in
> Accra that "ICANN should have a robust At Large
> mechanism …of the kind recommended in the [At-Large
> Study Committee] ALSC report," we are building
> “bottom-up, self-organized, local Internet community
> institutions and other organizations that meet the
> general criteria of openness, participation, and
> self-sustainability.”We have committed to:
>
>      Meet general criteria of openness, participation,
>      and self-sustainability;
>      Engage in outreach to, and education of, individual
>      Internet users about ICANN and ICANN issues;
>      Involve individual Internet users, aggregate views,
>      and identify relevant Internet user priorities;
>      Solicit the opinions of our members on these
>      issues; and Work with other ICANN stakeholders to
>      address issues and develop positions on Internet
>      policy issues that fall within ICANN's mission
>
> At this writing, there are 13 At-Large Structures
> worldwide representing over …. individual Internet
> users:
>
>      (Worldwide) icannatlarge.com
>      (www.icannatlarge.com)
>      (Africa) Internet Society Madagascar
>      (www.isoc.mg/cop/isoc)
>      (Asia-Pacific) Cyber Law Solutions Ltd
>      (www.naavi.com)
>      (Europe) Internet Society Bulgaria (www.isoc.bg)
>      (Europe) Confederation of European Computer User
>      Associations(CECUA)(www.cecua.org)
>      (Europe) Sistemas T?cnicos de Ense?anza
>      Consultores(STEC)(www.stec.info)
>      (Europe) ISOC Finland (www.siy.fi)
>      (Europe) ISOC Italy (www.isoc.it)
>      (Latin America/Caribbean) Internet Society
>      Argentina Chapter (www.isoc.org.ar)
>      (Latin America/Caribbean) LatinoamerICANN
>      (www.latinoamericann.derecho.org.ar)
>      (North America) Institute for the Study of
>      Information Technology and Society (InSITeS)
>      (www.cmu.edu/insites)
>      (North America) Computer Professionals for Social
>      Responsibility (Civil Society Democracy Proj.)
>      (www.CPSR.org)
>      (North America) California Democratic Party,
>      Computer & Internet Caucus (www.ca-dem-net.org)
>
> The At-Large Organizing Committee, an informal group
> that was created to guide and encourage At-Large
> organizing, is comprised of representatives of these
> At-Large Structures, as well as one member each from the
> former At-Large Study Committee and the former NGO and
> Academic ICANN Study (NAIS) group.The Committee
> currently includes the following members:
>
>      Esther Dyson (ALSC - ICANN At-Large Study
>      Committee, www.atlargestudy.org)
>      Christian Ahlert (NAIS - NGO and Academic ICANN
>      Study; www.naisproject.org)
>      Izumi Aizu (NAIS - NGO and Academic ICANN Study;
>      www.naisproject.org)
>      Satyajit Gupta (Icannatlarge.com,
>      www.icannatlarge.com)
>      Sotiris Sotiropoulos (Icannatlarge.com,
>      www.icannatlarge.com)
>      Andriamparany Marius (Internet Society Madagascar,
>      www.isoc.mg/cop/isoc)
>      Ramboasalama Haja (Internet Society Madagascar,
>      www.isoc.mg/cop/isoc)
>      Na.Vijayashankar (Cyber Law Solutions Ltd,
>      www.naavi.com)
>      Dimitar Kirov (Internet Society Bulgaria,
>      www.isoc.bg)
>      Veni Markovski (Internet Society Bulgaria,
>      www.isoc.bg and Global Internet Policy Initiative -
>      GIPI - Bulgaria)
>      Prof. Dr. Jon Thorhallsson (CECUA - Confederation
>      of European Computer User Associations,
>      www.cecua.org)
>      N?ria de la Fuente Teixid? (STEC - Sistemas
>      T?cnicos de Ense?anza Consultores, www.stec.info)
>      Gonzalo Auza (Internet Society Argentina Chapter,
>      www.isoc.org.ar)
>      Edmundo Valenti (Internet Society Argentina
>      Chapter, www.isoc.org.ar)
>      Gabriel Pi?eiro (LatinoamerICANN,
>      www.latinoamericann.derecho.org.ar)
>      Erick Iriarte Ahon (LatinoamerICANN,
>      www.latinoamericann.derecho.org.ar)
>      Peter M. Shane (InSITeS - Institute for the Study
>      of Information Technology and Society,
>      www.cmu.edu/insites)
>      Ramayya Krishnan (InSITeS - Institute for the Study
>      of Information Technology and Society,
>      www.cmu.edu/insites)
>      Hans Klein (Computer Professionals for Social
>      Responsibility/Civil Society Democracy Project,
>      www.CPSR.org)
>      Andy Oram (Computer Professionals for Social
>      Responsibility/Civil Society Democracy Project,
>      www.CPSR.org/www.CivSoc.org)
>      Rick Hauptman (California Democratic Party,
>      Computer & Internet Caucus, www.ca-dem-net.org)
>      Tommi Karttaavi (ISOC Finland, www.siy.fi)
>      Vittorio Bertola (ISOC Italy, www.isoc.it)
>
> With no funding currently available in ICANN's budget,
> the Board authorized the acceptance of initial
> contributions to fund coordination for the creation and
> nurturing of At-Large structures. Thus far, US$17,000 in
> donations has been received.
>

Perhaps a mention of who the donors are would be
appropriate for reasons of protocol?  I think it is always
good to properly recognize and thank any and all sources
of funding for our efforts.  No mention of who donated
what, just who donated.

> Our goal is to represent individual Internet users in
> ICANN’s development of policies and practices for the
> management of the DNS, thus helping to ensure that ICANN
> operates as a private entity for the benefit of the
> Internet community as a whole. As stated by the ALSC,
> "ICANN needs to be accountable not just to governments
> and members of its existing Supporting Organizations,
> but also to those who are affected by its actions.
> Actions ICANN takes within its seemingly narrow
> technical and administrative mission can affect (and
> generate interest among) the world's individual Internet
> users in a myriad of ways. These users hold a variety of
> values and interests and represent a critical voice in
> how ICANN's actions can and should impact them."
>
> Our organizations are concerned about, and involved in,
> a variety of Internet issues and, as members of the
> At-Large Organizing Committee, we are currently
> discussing which ICANN issues we will work together to
> address.Suggested issues on which we could provide a
> collective “individual Internet users” perspective
> include internationalized domain names, practices and
> policies for registering and transferring generic top
> level domain names (gTLD's) (including access to, and
> use of, "who is" data), domain-name intellectual
> property issues, introduction of new top level domains
> (TLDs,) the implementation of IPv6, the fair allocation
> of address space, and participation and representation
> of At-Large in ICANN’s policy and decision-making.

Also, there is the matter of domain deletion policy and
expiry issues which include things like the Verisign +
SnapNames Waiting List Service.  As well, I think we ought
to mention Registry and Registrar business practices
oversight, a subject which to date has been almost taboo.
But, if anything hurts everyday Users of the DNS more than
the unsound and questionable business practices now
engaged in by the registry and registrar operators, I
can't think of it...

> Although we are not yet in a position to offer detailed,
> substantive input (having just formed last month), we
> would like to share some general observations that may
> assist ICANN’s Evolution and Reform Committee.
>
> Since the Board agreed in Accra to support a
> self-organized At-Large, and since our organizing
> efforts are proceeding well and we expect them to be
> successful, we believe the Board should plan to
> institutionalize a new At-Large (at the appropriate time
> and with the appropriate safeguards), with dedicated
> At-Large seats on the Board to ensure that "individual
> user" perspectives are represented in ICANN’s policy and
> decision-making.

I'm not sure I like the phrasing of the sentence with the
terms "appropriate safeguards", this is vague and ought to
be made more clear.  What are we safeguarding against?

>
>
> We recommend that the Board also consider the
> establishment of an At-Large Supporting Organization
> (with an At-Large Steering Committee) comprised of our
> organizations and future self-forming, self-supporting
> At-Large Structures to help ensure individual Internet
> user needs are reflected in ICANN work.  At-Large
> Structures should be groups that meet specific criteria
> (e.g. see www.at-large.org for criteria currently in
> use).
>
> To facilitate coordination and effective policy-making,
> we suggest the Board consider requiring:proposed
> policies and issues be jointly referred to an At-Large
> Steering Committee for review and input (under Board
> guidelines/time limits); the At-Large Steering Committee
> to designate liaisons to other policy-making and
> advisory bodies; and designated ICANN staff to support
> the At-Large Steering Committee’s work. Furthermore, we
> recommend the Board consider allowing the At-Large
> Supporting Organization to select their Steering
> Committee and Board members under Board-approved
> guidelines/criteria.

> Finally, to help ensure greater transparency,
> participation, and accountability for ICANN's
> decision-making, we recommend that ICANN establish
> specific time periods and mechanisms for public
> participation in policy development.
>
Is this last sentence even necessary?  Perhaps it can be
altered to read thus:

We would like to offer our help in realizing greater
transparency, participation, and accountability for
ICANN's decision-making, we hope the Board will look
favourably upon our efforts and work with us to establish
specific time periods and mechanisms for public
participation in policy development.

Sincerely,

Sotiris Sotiropoulos

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