Re: [ga] Pulling the plug on the Council

[Thomas Roessler <roessler@does-not-exist.org>]

On 2002-04-11 11:41:23 -0400, DannyYounger@cs.com wrote:

>This question presumes that there will be an ongoing role for the 
>Names Council in ICANN.  I question that assessment.  The Lynn 
>Plan makes it clear that ICANN has come to the conclusion that the 
>Council is of such limited value that the DNSO itself should be 
>eliminated in the "evolved" ICANN.

>I share this conclusion.  Let's consider the facts...

I believe that the council, as an institution, is currently in its
end game, along with the rest of the DNSO concept.  (But you knew 
that already.)

If the council actually delivers on its promise and produces an 
intelligent, useful, and practicable alternative to the Lynn plan, 
then it would have proven that it can work kind of "effectively," 
and may deserve another chance.

If, however, the council does not deliver (for whatever reason), the 
current DNSO concept has proven beyond all doubt that it is not 
useful, and not usable.  In this case, the council's plug should 
indeed be pulled, and it should be replaced by something _radically_ 
different.


I would guess that any work product which does not identify and 
address the problems with the DNSO's current process would be 
considered a failure.  Any work product which just says 
"everything's almost fine" would most likely be a failure.

In particular, this implies that those who represent the DNSO's 
constituencies on the council will have to invest a lot of time and 
dedication over the next 28 days.  With most of the council's 
members, this will have to be a huge lot more time and dedication 
than what we have seen since Accra.

This will also require the council's members (and, in fact, all in 
the DNSO) to be open-minded about conceding what has gone wrong in 
the past.  To use my favorite example, whoever criticizes the board 
for its decision on dot-org should as well look at the process used 
in the DNSO to come to the much-celebrated consensus on that issue, 
and should ask if this process was appropriate, and if the consensus 
really covered all those concerned by the decision.


Anyway, I'm speculating.  It may also be the case that this is all 
just the fight for having the best deck chairs on the Titanic, as 
Milton has been suggesting on the NCDNHC's list.

-- 
Thomas Roessler                          http://log.does-not-exist.org/
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