Re: [ICANN-EU] MEMO requesting discussion: Structuring a large ML

[Vittorio Bertola <vb@vitaminic.net>]

%On Sun, 20 Aug 2000 13:07:25 +0200, you wrote:

>In my humble opinion, the first piece of structure which should be
>added in addition to the open list may be some kind of an announce
>list to which only the European @large director can post, so a
>broader public can follow his or her activities without having to
>participate in discussions.

I agree that there should be an announcements mailing list. However, I
am wondering about its purpose.

There are two different types of "announcements" that need to be made
to the community: one regards "administrative" issues (i.e.: "There
will be an ICANN Board meeting next week in ..."), and I've no problem
with that. The other regards "political" issues, such as issues on
which the Director must define his position (as a representative of
the European At Large community). It is natural and democratically
desirable that, inside the community, different opinions will arise in
respect to such issues. Even if the Director will have the freedom and
the responsibility to take decisions with which the majority of the
community does not agree, I feel that his own opinions should not be
privileged when members' opinions still have to be formed. If the only
individual allowed to post about political issues to the announcements
ML was the Director, then his own ideas would have an unfair advantage
in gathering consensus among the community - especially if the only
alternative to reading this ML would be reading a flooded and high
traffic general discussion ML. The announcements ML should not become
the PR office for the Director.

In other words, I feel the need to restrict an announcements mailing
list to *facts* (i.e. meeting agendas, resumes of the
deliberations...) but to keep the discussion about opinions inside a
more open environment.

Anyway, I'd think that it would be good to let the announcements ML be
managed by some independent person who would take care to grant
plurality and freedom of access to the list (for meaningful
announcements) to anyone in the community.

>However, we shouldn't create that list before we actually have the
>director - after all, he or she will have to agree upon using it,
>and, as opposed to an open list, it would be useless without the
>director's participation.

I have a slightly different idea on that. I think that the community
should try to organize itself regardless to the opinions of the next
Director. If the elected candidate does not want to discuss his ideas
with his voters, his voters still have the right to try to get a voice
on their own. If there is general consensus here in creating some
tools for the community, let's create them from the bottom, and then
the Director will take his responsibility in using them or refusing
them (I'm sure that voters will be interested in this).

>Additionally, the idea to add regional, language-specific, or
>national lists in addition, may be pursued as well.  Most likely,
>such lists should be introduced as needed.  However, they SHOULD NOT
>replace the international English-language list.

It is fine by me, as long as opinions formed and supported locally are
not disadvantaged in respect to opinions posted on the international
list. The Director should take care to taste the feeling of the whole
community, not only of its English-speaking subset. This is why I'm
insisting on a regional At Large council (which could in fact just be
a closed or moderated mailing list) to act as a connection between the
Director and all the communities.

-- 
.oOo.oOo.oOo.oOo vb.
Vittorio Bertola     <vb@vitaminic.net>    Ph. +39 011 23381220
Vitaminic [The Music Evolution] - Vice President for Technology