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IP: An alternative view on -- New Internet Board Hears Plenty of Skepticism
From: Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 22:16:35 -0500
Date: Sat, 14 Nov 1998 22:04:51 -0500 To: farber () cis upenn edu From: Steve Crocker <crocker () mbl edu> Well, I was there too. My take on things was a bit different: There were indeed a number of people who expressed distrust of the board. They were vocal and persistent, but I don't think it's accurate to suggest they were the majority. There were also a substantial number of people there who assume the ICANN will operate reasonably and that the interim board is earnest, hard-working and fairly reasonable. There was considerable teeth-gnashing over how the interim board was chosen and whether they are representative of the various geographic and demographic constituencies. For the long haul, I think that's a fair issue to deal with. In the immediate future, I think ICANN's most important task is become operational and take care of business. Trust will come if they are effective and responsible. The Berkman Center for Internet & Society provided support for the meeting -- registration, briefing books, real-time network postings, etc. I was pretty impressed with the quality of the result, particularly since it was put together fairly quickly. This ain't easy. The Berkman professionals, particularly Jonathan Zittrain and Molly Shaffer Van Houweling, did a great job of moderating. They moved the meeting forward, organized the issues in real time, kept a light touch and added value. A number of people wanted to hear the board's views and plans. Esther Dyson, the interim board chair, and Mike Roberts, the interim CEO, made it clear at the outset that the purpose of the meeting was for the board to hear from the public and that ICANN had not yet formulated specific plans and views. This was a sticking point for some of the attendees who wanted to hear more concrete plans and have an opportunity criticize or shape those plans. I found it interesting that there seemed to be an equal equal number who felt the ICANN was moving too fast and counseled delay. This meeting clearly didn't satisfy either of those groups. The meeting did, however, provide a forum for people to express their views to the board and for the public to see the board members and hear a little about their background. It's evident to me that some of the board members have put a lot of time and energy into ICANN already, while others probably have not. The ICANN is just getting started. I think they're making a strong effort to be accessible, attentive and open. It's my understanding the board will have similar meetings in Europe and Asia and perhaps elsewhere. As I said above, my view is that the ICANN needs to get into operation and take care of business on a daily basis. The community can then judge how well the ICANN serves its needs. ICANN also needs to set up a longer term technical agenda and all of the machinery for membership, accountability, etc., etc. I think all this is completely obvious to everyone involved and I fully expect to see reasonable things emerge from the process. For the record, I have no role in any of this, have not been embroiled in any of the competing efforts prior to this, and have no financial or structural ties to any of the stakeholders. (Well, I suppose I need to acknowledge that Dave Crocker is my brother, but his views are his and mine are mine, i.e. my brother is not my keeper, nor am I his.) Steve
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- IP: An alternative view on -- New Internet Board Hears Plenty of Skepticism Dave Farber (Nov 14)