Re: [ICANN-EU] Interview with ICANN director Helmut Schink

[Gerhard Wendebourg <gwhh@gmx.de>]

It's very obvious - after we look at the acting and talking of the actual
ICANN-Administration, that they are not willing, that real democratic rules
will take place there, or to give the Internet-User serious participation.
I think, that the decision to have the At Large election was to try out, if
one might have some democratic legitimation to the ICANN, without the
danger, to get relevant changes in the recent policy or to the priority of
the commercial interests.

Now they saw, that this kind of legitimation is not as cheap, they hoped,
it might be, but there are rising demands  for an real participation and
regards to civil rights of the non-commercial Net-User.
So of course they try a roll-back of the intention to let some democracy
take place in the Net - and we should not wonder about this: its a very
normally reaction, if things not run as one like it to.

The question is: what will WE do with this situation (and if I say "we" I
think of the people, which take the (cilvil) rights of the net-citizen and
the rules of democracy not for a marginality).
Will we use the ways to fight for net-citizen rights and their free
(name-)space, or will we accept to be treated as some "freaks" (H.Schink),
that are not really worth, to have an eye on.

One of the ways is of course the etablishing and publishing of alternate
root-servers:
if the At Large Community (?!) decides to support them instead of dealing
with an ICANN-Administration, where a user-participation is not really
intended, maybe the day will come, when the ICANN looks at an growing
paralell (alternate) universe, that is no more object to their administrating.
We would so have an ICANN-commercial-Internet-Community on one side and on
the other an At Large-Net-Citizen-Community from people, that are ruling
and administrating themselves.
If things like this are really on the way, the ICANN might take a new look
on the situation and think, that Users / At Large-Members are worth, to
have some regards to.

At 18:34 11.11.00 +0100, arne@gerners.net wrote:
>Dear All,
>
>There is an interesting interview with Helmut Schink on heise online (in
>german)
>see http://www.heise.de/newsticker/data/jk-11.11.00-002/
>He was sent by the ITU to the ICANN board and basicaly he says, ICANN is
>no technical organisation, but mainly political (technical standards are
>made elsewhere). He's not sure if At-Large Membership is a good idea.
>
>Regard, Arne
>
>
-------------------------------------
Gerhard Wendebourg          eMail: gw@hwx.de
U&K NetWorX GbR      /       Freelance Networx
WebDesign - Datenbanken - Internet-Projekte
Buergernetz-Hamburg e.V. 
fon: +49 40 38613652  fax +4969 791235645
Postadresse:     PF 106104, D-20042 Hamburg