RE: [ga] The BC Position on ICANN Evolution and Reform

[Eric Dierker <eric@hi-tek.com>]

You folks flag me.

You speak in non consequential terms.

You are beyond common understanding.

Good for you!

But I worry for you.

Good luck.

Sincerely,
Eric

> The logic behind the Business Constituency's rather unique
> interpretation of "consensus" is actually even more bizarre if you look
> at it closely.
> 
> The argument goes that generally members of the business constituency
> are too busy to want to be bothered with participating in a mailing
> list; consequently, the officers should have delegated power to state
> "draft positions", which will become "official positions" if there is
> no comment on the list. See the flaw? If businesses are too busy to
> read or participate in mailing lists.... then how can silence be
> interpreted as acceptance?
> 
>>From a personal perspective, participating in this constituency on
>>behalf of Basic Fusion over the last month has been extremely
>>frustrating, not because I did not get my way (I fully accept that the
>>positions I took were often minority ones) but because of the strange
>>rules and frequent disregard for process that are used within the
>>constituency to stifle open debate. 
> 
> One particular example of these strange rules is the Constituency's
> "Communication Guidelines" which can be seen at
> http://www.bizconst.org/bccomms.htm. Under these guidelines, the list
> moderator "... may composite replies on the same topic, change the
> subject line, remove trailing e-mails, or take any other action
> designed to make reading the e-mails clear and simple for members." A
> consequence of this is that it is often impossible to follow email
> trails (responses to a posted topic almost always have their headings
> changed), and that an individual posting can find itself tagged on to
> the end of three postings composited together, relegating a particular
> contribution in terms of importance.
> 
> Although a BC-bashing session per se is clearly not useful on this
> mailing list, I do think that the manner in which the BC operates is
> pertinent to the current discussions on ICANN reform, since it
> highlights just how idealistic it is to think that a privatised
> policy-making function like ICANN can work efficiently and well. The
> reality is that the lack of accountability within ICANN has allowed a
> small cadre to effectively adopt the BC as a platform for ensuring
> their own viewpoint has disproportionate weight in the process. 
> 
> Personally, I don't think that the ICANN reform group should be looking
> to create another policy function whether 100% private, 50/50
> private/public, 100% public or anything. Rather they should be looking
> at how to create a DNS governance structure that allows maximum input
> for the market into how the DNS develops, and minimal input from
> unaccountable individuals and organisations that arrogantly proclaim to
> represent the "will of the internet community".
> 
> andy duff
> andy@luddo.com
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ga-full@dnso.org [mailto:owner-ga-full@dnso.org]On Behalf
> Of DannyYounger@cs.com
> Sent: 19 April 2002 06:29
> To: ga@dnso.org
> Subject: [ga] The BC Position on ICANN Evolution and Reform
> 
> 
> The Business Constituency website now states:
> 
> <<BC position on ICANN Evolution and Reform
> This paper, authored by Marilyn Cade, is now accepted as a BC
> Position.>>
> 
> Needless to say, there are no changes in this document (even in spite
> of the  extensive list of questions prepared for Marilyn).  So, one
> might ask, how  exactly does the BC arrive at a "position"?  
> 
> The BC website offers a succinct explanation:  <<The draft position
> will be  circulated for comment or posted on the web site. Members will
> be notified  that there will be a 14 days’ period for comment.  If no
> comments are  received the position will be deemed approved.>>
> 
> The problem with this approach is that within the BC, members rarely,
> if  ever, participate on the mailing list (this is one of the reasons
> that the BC  refuses to publicly archive their list  -- they are
> embarrassed by the fact  that almost no one in their constituency ever
> has anything to say (with the  exception of Jefsey and Andy Duff), and
> they need to hide the fact that  almost all decisions and positions are
> exclusively made by only three people,  Phil, Marilyn and Grant,
> without the benefit of any other member input  whatsoever).
> 
> So, in short... Marilyn quickly drafted something to throw up on the 
> website... as usual no one had anything to say... and that became the
> BC  "position".
> 
> Spend some time and look at the document.  You will find that it is one
> of  the most vaguest non-substantive pieces of paper produced by this
> almost  useless constituency that can't be bothered to propose any
> specific solutions  to our current set of problems.  All the more
> reason why the BC should be  de-commissioned as a constituency in the
> restructured ICANN.  We don't need  both this group and the IP lobby
> (just one will suffice, and these two appear  to be no more than mirror
> images of each other anyway).
> 
> 
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