[ICANN-EU] Re: The Key Questions for Jeanette Hoffmann

["Jeanette Hofmann" <jeanette@medea.wz-berlin.de>]

> Dear Jeanette,
> 
> Thank you for your earlier reply on funding for the directors.
> 
> Perhaps you needed some more time to ponder your reply to the questions
> asked with regards to your position on the Individual DN holders'
> Constituency for the DNSO.

Indeed, I needed this time. Frankly, I am still not sure about the best 
answer to this question. 
On the one hand, it is easy to argue that, in principle, all kinds of DN 
holders should be given the opportunity to form their own 
constituency. 
On the other hand, it is exactly the constituency structure of the DNSO 
which causes a lot of problems. 
To quote a comprehensive comment  by Harald Alvestrand to the 
ga@dnso list:

Date sent:    	Wed, 30 Aug 2000 09:39:39 +0200


Just for the record, I think that the constituency structure of
the DNSO is a fundamental reason for the DNSO's problems.

The constituency structure has led to:

- Polarization, as those who are in the DNSO to represent a
constituency feel obliged to serve that constituency's interests
whether that makes sense in a global context or not

- Underrepresentation, since many interested voices have trouble
fitting into one or another of the constituencies

- Overrepresentation, since many interested voices (Business and
IP are the most obvious) find themselves natural parts of several
constituencies

- Misrepresentation, since the selection of a few people to act
as spokesmen for a constituency obscures the sometimes
significant differences of opinion within a constituency

I believe part of the problems the DNSO has had in reaching
anything like a consensus position on *anything* is rooted in the
constituency structure. (It is also rooted in the presence of a
number of very loud voices that should, on the basis of
democratic process, be heard, but where the owners of the voices
have neither the inclination nor the temperament to reach for
consensus. Reaching consensus in a loud environment will always
be hard.)

The constituency structure is a failure and should be abandoned.

              Harald
--------------------- end of quote------------------------------

According to the ga-dnso list, many people seem to agree with 
Harald's view. 
Thus, if the very structure of the DNSO turns out to be in itself a 
failure, would it be a good idea to cement this structure by proceeding 
to establish the constituency of individual domain name holders at this 
point? Or should this effort be temporarely deferred because the 
whole structure has been called into question? 
This is a tricky question. As far as I see there is no easy answer 
available at present. 

jeanette