RE: [atlarge-discuss] Available Name

[espresso@e-scape.net]

At 13:37 -0400 2002/08/12, Judith Oppenheimer wrote of "opt-out":
>Big blunder IMHO, both from a PR and email-recipient perspective, as we'll
>be accused of spamming the first email that goes out.
>
>Opt-in makes sense.  

I also think an "opt-out" approach is inappropriate, as well as quite likely to backfire.

>...How to get registrars to carry the invitation?  Short
>of some incentive I don't at the moment see, buying advertising out-right
>should be included in our budget plans.

This makes me rather uncomfortable, too. Is is really so unlikely that the registrars would refuse to carry what is, after all, in the nature of a small public service announcement? All that would be needed is a short paragraph of text and a link, I think, and it can be argued that less than 5k of virtual real estate is a modest enough request that anyone running a server should be downright embarrassed to refuse.

Besides which I can't help wondering where the pots of money for an advertising budget is supposed to come from.

>(Keep in mind, if we carry ads or any message via accredited registrars and
>registries, there is a chance that ICANN will require placement of its
>competing messages, for free.  Again, a reason why I am concerned with the
>"at large" brand.)

Perhaps I'm being dim again but I think that in most countries free "equal time" ads are only required for political campaign advertising. If our message is simply that Internet users can join a grassroots organization dedicated to improving Internet governance (rather than "Join the campaign to abolish ICANN" or something) by visiting a Web site, I can't see what the "competing message" that required equal time could be. 

For that matter, if ICANN asked to have its URL listed, too ... well, any reasonably literate person reading the explanations of why it was important to abolish the At Large membership, as well as its representation on the ICANN Board, might well be prompted to go back and check out our organization as a possible antidote to the bafflegab.

Regards,

Judyth

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Judyth Mermelstein     "cogito ergo lego ergo cogito..."
Montreal, QC           <espresso@e-scape.net>
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"History teaches us that men and nations behave wisely once 
they have exhausted all other alternatives." (Abba Eban)
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