Re: [ga] NC Review Task Force -- Captured by Business Interests ??

[Kent Crispin <kent@songbird.com>]

On Tue, Dec 04, 2001 at 12:56:03PM -0500, DannyYounger@cs.com wrote:
> Ross, 
> 
> If we were to use your argument that "Unless you are imply that these 62 
> individuals are somehow representative of the other 454, it cannot be 
> legitimately argued that the GA can achieve consensus on any issue", then 
> your own constituency finds itself in a conundrum...
> 
> You recently voted on the transfers protocol, an issue in which some 40 
> members voted out of the almost 200 registrars listed by ICANN (some 
> accredited, some not).  Many in your organization seek to argue that this is 
> the consensus position of the registrar community.  By your reasoning, the 
> vote conducted by the registrars does not necessarily constitute consensus in 
> view of the limited turnout... are you sure that you want to advance the 
> argument along these lines?
> 
> Consensus can only be reasonably measured by taking into account the vote of 
> those members actively choosing to participate in a vote.  Our members have 
> voted.  The results speak for themselves.  We believe this to be measurable 
> consensus.

Sorry, there is a vast difference -- the character of the organization
matters a great deal.  If an organization is effective, and people pay
attention to it (like the registrar constituency), then the assumption
that people who disagree will speak up is, for the most part, a valid
one.  

The GA, however, is a zoo, and nobody takes it seriously.  Since people
don't take it seriously, there is no particular reason to speak up if it
takes an insane or wildly unrealistic position, and hence the assumption
that the people who do speak up are a consensus is clearly invalid. 

-- 
Kent Crispin                               "Be good, and you will be
kent@songbird.com                           lonesome." -- Mark Twain
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