RE: [council] Registrant Representation in WHOIS Workshop

["Cade,Marilyn S - LGCRP" <mcade@att.com>]

Thanks, Milton
Your suggestions of speakers who actually represent registrants is of course
an important one. I will share your email with the full Program Committee.

Actually, I wondered if there is not an even more important point in your message, beyond suggesting 
specific possible speakers, which I greatly appreciate, which is that registrants are indeed very disparate, and that it is hard to capture their points of view via any particular organization, although some organizations may be in a better position
than others to seek out individual points of view. 

So, in addition to organizations like CDT, and EPIC, I would assume that the At Large
will also want to be heard from as they are outreaching to individuals. I leave that
to Thomas to comment on of course.

Finally, to Jeff and others in Council, again, it is helpful if you make concrete suggestions which the Program Committee
can take on board for consideration. I have copied the chair of the committee, but I 
 will also share any input, suggestions for topics, speakers, etc. that you might in the next couple of days, suggest through the Council's list.

It would, again, be most helpful, if you provided concrete suggestions, since the 
Program committee will meet again today, and hopes to finalize an agenda and start
inviting speakers by the end of the week. Milton, thank you for your suggestions.

All input and suggestions will be shared with the program committee in total.

Best regards,

Marilyn
-----Original Message-----
From: Neuman, Jeff [mailto:Jeff.Neuman@Neustar.us]
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 11:15 AM
To: 'Milton Mueller'; council@dnso.org
Cc: sabine@denic.de; tom@schlund.de
Subject: RE: [council] Registrant Representation in WHOIS Workshop


I would have to agree with Milton on this one.  There is also another
underrepresented group in this process as well:  gTLD Registries.  There is
no member of a gTLD Registry that is involved in the planning of these
workshops.  We believe this to be highly ironic since many have suggested
that registries (especially "thick registries") aid in the solution
(whatever that may be).

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: Milton Mueller [mailto:Mueller@syr.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2003 10:41 AM
To: council@dnso.org
Cc: sabine@denic.de; tom@schlund.de
Subject: [council] Registrant Representation in WHOIS Workshop



Re: Thomas's message, 
It is interesting to characterize domain name registrants
as "Whois data providers." Technically it is correct, 
however there is an important distinction between 
commercial suppliers of registration services who must
in the course of their business, supply Whois capabilities, 
and the customer or consumer, who in the gTLD space 
participates in Whois involuntarily, following terms and 
conditions set in a contract of adhesion. 

One serious problem with the way this issue is being 
addressed is that individual domain name registrants are 
unrepresented in the process. 

The so-called "user" constituencies in GNSO are, with the 
exception of NCUC, really trademark protection constituencies.
All the others are provider constituencies (including ISPs).

The interests of registrars and registrants are often 
aligned in this process, and the registrars recently have
done a good job of raising some of the privacy issues, but
at various points their interests diverge from those of
consumers. 

So, one suggestion, Marilyn, is that the program include 
speakers who are genuinely advocating the interests of
domain name REGISTRANTS, and not people who want to
track, litigate against, spy on or market to individual
registrants. Both Alan Davidson of CDT, and Marc Rotenberg
of EPIC will be in Montreal and take a user perspective.
Their contact info is easily accessible at www.cdt.org 
or www.epic.org