Re: [atlarge-discuss] ALOC archives?

[DannyYounger@cs.com]

Dear Bruce,

I, for one, have never bought into the "go forth and multiply" sales pitch 
put forward by the ICANN Board.  There are already plenty of user 
organizations out there and I am proud to already belong to one of them -- 
the Internet Society (ISOC), NY chapter.  

Building a new organization, in my opinion, was just a well-orchestrated 
diversion planned by Esther Dyson to keep users occupied with a global 
democracy project so that they wouldn't devote their considerable energies to 
fighting ICANN at a time when it reduced the At-Large from a promised nine to 
zero.  That strategy worked very well as members of this group did little to 
nothing to protect the At-large or to fight for the At-Large.   

In Bucharest, there were representatives of this group that instead of 
demonstrating defiance and abject horror at the abuses being inflicted by the 
ICANN Board decided instead to lick the boots of their masters and to remain 
silent.  I will not join a group that has so little regard for its own 
members that it fails to act aggressively in their best interest.  

I have never been enamoured with the perceived need for an organizational 
response as opposed to individual initiatives.  I have seen ACM, PFIR, CDT, 
CPSR, and others come out with "statements" that routinely are disregarded by 
the Board.  There is no "magic" in position papers put forward by various 
groups -- there is only the power of ideas that can as easily be articulated 
by individuals as by groups.  

While members of this group choose to spend their time organizing, I choose 
to spend my time fighting by writing directly to Vint Cerf and Alejandro 
Pisanty (whenever I believe they might be amenable to persuasion), and to 
Nancy Victory and Karen Rose (when it becomes clear that ICANN is just not 
listening).

If this group was prepared to launch a sustained fight at the highest levels 
with a commitment to engage the US Congress and the Department of Commerce in 
the attempt to curb ICANN abuses, then I might be tempted to join as a 
member.  I view those groups as the only entities that can currently exercise 
any possible control over this Board-run-amok.  But as I have seen no 
indication that members within this body are prepared to participate in any 
such campaign to protect their own rights, I will not join your effort at 
this time.

I respect what you are doing... I simply don't share your vision, your 
strategies or tactics.  You have a fine slate of candidates that can lead 
this group forward with more than enough North Americans already standing for 
election... you really don't need still one more.  Eventually this group 
might manage to do something (if you don't get bogged down in endless Charter 
discussions), but I can't wait for you to get your act together as decisions 
on ICANN will be made prior to the expiration of its current MoU in 
September.  

Best wishes,
Danny

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