RE: [atlarge-discuss] a legitimate election?

[Gary Osbourne <gro@direct.ca>]

At 01:20 AM 15/07/02 -0400, Joanna Lane wrote:

>We don't each other very well, so please hear me out

No, we don't, but for the record I do know enough about
what you say in general via the ga list, as well as here.
I don't normally disagree (even to myself) with what you
say. I didn't even intend to specifically disagree with
you in my recent response. By all means, set up a list
for members only, or change this one to be that way,

I just found it ironic that this depleting of limited
resources sounds much like Stuart Lynn's complaint,
that there is too much process, that ICANN is a
debating club. It is more than ironic, it plays into
ICANN's hands as I say, because that is arguably all
this list does.

>If an individual voluntarily gifts specific resources
>for specific purposes, but the ExCom squanders them,
>then the donor could reasonably withdraw, and
>everybody loses out.

I think the original donators to the atlarge effort
knew what they were doing, that the resources would
be squandered, that nothing would come of it, that
it would become another IDNO. This can't be blamed
on non-members, nor even on average members.

Another reason I did not sign on was due to the
differentiations amongst members, who is or isn't
a domain owner, who is or isn't willing to donate.
This was there from the beginning, there was already
a hierarchy in place. After the initial flush the
membership has flatlined for the last couple of
months. I fully expect a very low turnout in the
upcoming election which will further bring this
effort into disrepute. That is the responsibility
of the existing hierarchy, not average members,
and certainly not non-members such as myself.

It is all very well to say go away and build your
own, this just further insulates the hierarchy from
reality. The reality is that this effort is in
danger of becoming completely irrelevant, some
would say that point has already arrived.

When that becomes blindingly obvious perhaps I will
set something up. If so, it would all be donated, I
wouldn't charge a penny. For example, even as a non-
member, I would have donated the server space for
the website if the opportunity to do so had arisen,
I suspect various of the members would have been
willing and able to do the same. Ditto for the
coding. The current hierarchy seems to know the
price of everything and the value of nothing.

Attempting to turn internet governance issues to
one's personal or financial advantage is precisely
what is most wrong with ICANN. Instead of learning
from that, instead of making use of its own
potentially rich resources, this effort also
artificially limits them, then fights over the
crumbs. Though predictable, I find that quite sad. -g


---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: atlarge-discuss-unsubscribe@lists.fitug.de
For additional commands, e-mail: atlarge-discuss-help@lists.fitug.de