RE: [ga] Motion asking for GA poll on rebid of ICANN contract

[Joanna Lane <jo-uk@rcn.com>]

Thomas,
The GA has never officially adopted a set of rules for how things work, so I
suggest that whatever you and others perceive is simply institutional memory
and clearly yours is different from Jamie's.

Furthermore, of course one person can write a motion, and in fact, most
motions are authored by a single proponent of a cause. I suggest that what
you are meaning to say is that one person cannot decide on whether or not an
issue has a sufficient level of interest to go forward for a vote, and that
in order to clarify the level of support, a certain amount of debate is
required. That may be the case here, or it may not, since some issues are so
obvious they do not need to be debated before a vote, while other issues do
require debate, but nevertheless would benefit from a snap poll of the
membership to indicate the level of interest in pursuing a particular course
of action at all.

There are also various forms of voting. In this particular case, I happen to
agree with Jamie that it would be useful to know at this stage the level of
support for the redelegation of the ICANN function to another entity, or the
like. Some things are so obvious, they don't need discussion. There has been
a great deal of discussion on the lists dating back years about ICANN's
competence or lack thereof, culminating in the disastrous Lynn Reform Plan.
Do we really need to rehash all that? Or could a reasonable person have
arrived at the conclusion that such a vote is necessary? There are literally
thousands of comments criticizing ICANN's competence that could be used the
basis for a motion to proceed now, and Jamie, as the Proponent, could draft
it.

However, if you object, a deadline of 10 days has been suggested to
determine how the GA feels about this issue. I'm assuming the deadline is to
meet ICANN's own requirements for feedback, so this would be the time-line
into which all debate, motion amendments, alternative motions and actual
voting would have to occur.

I know I am repeatedly beating the same drum, but the Best Practices
Procedures is the most helpful guide to how to move this issue forward, it
covers all of this in some detail and is posted on the DNSO GA Website. An
updated version is posted here:-
http://www.cerebalaw.com/BPIial.htm.

I notice my colleague Bill Lovell has also picked up the thread and pointed
you in the same direction.

Following Best Practices is not hard work, it's just based in logic, and a
flexible system to boot. Use what you want from it, set aside what you don't
need. If you don't do anything else, at least please read the definitions
sections, so when you next use the word "vote", each of you will know
whether to clarify it as a formal DNSO ballot, or a Snap Poll.

Regards,
Joanna






> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ga@dnso.org [mailto:owner-ga@dnso.org]On Behalf Of Thomas
> Roessler
> Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 1:40 PM
> To: James Love
> Cc: Joanna Lane; General assembly list
> Subject: Re: [ga] Motion asking for GA poll on rebid of ICANN contract
>
>
> On 2002-05-02 11:31:14 -0400, James Love wrote:
>
> >I don't mind you having any opinion you want on this.  But I am
> >asking for a vote, to estabish how the GA members feel about this
> >issue.  The GA doesn't have the power to force decisions, but it
> >can let people know what its members (not only its chair) think.
> >I am asking for a vote.  We can address what is on the ballot if
> >we can agree that there will be a vote.
>
> You seem to be seriously mistaken about how things work.
>
> First, you produce a reasonable motion.  You don't do this alone,
> but you do this by way of discussion on this very list. Second, you
> try to generate substantial support.  Third, you get the vote.
>
> You are just about to begin with step one of this process.
>
> --
> Thomas Roessler                          http://log.does-not-exist.org/
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