Re: [ga] RE: "The reform committee continues to refine its proposals..."

["Roberto Gaetano" <ploki_xyz@hotmail.com>]

Jonathan Cohen wrote:

[cc: trimmed, but BoD kept]

>
>And will those who disagree stop villifying, name calling ,cheap shotting
>because they dont get their way.Will people from 'some ' country stop
>invoking its world view on every aspect of ICANN and the Internet.Will
>,those who dont like directions or decisions of ICANN stop whining to
>Congress or the DOC,will they take the time to check their facts,.Bob Dylan
>said it in a song a long time ago .....''try spending a day in our shoes''
>,as VOLUNTEERS, at considerable personal cost in time,energy and MONEY!!Try
>listening to the push and pull from every direction,the criticism,the
>Politics,the Rhetoric, name calling AND WORSE,while you try to do the Best
>Job you can.Noone on the Board expects sympathy or "flowers"...But it would
>sure be refreshing to get some 'Balance'and some decent debate ,where if 
>you
>dont win you shake hands and try again later...But maybe thats ''culturally
>biased''  see you around the "Ranch"
>

I will try to provide an explaination on why there seems to be an increasing 
number of people who do not agree with ICANN´s BoD and that are "whining to 
Congress or DOC".
I do not agree with them, as I disagree with the vilifying, name calling and 
the alike. I feel  I have to say this upfront in order for my later words 
not to be misunderstood.
A lot of people have tried to debate with ideas, to make comments on the 
different fora, to present their points in a democratic and polite way.
There has been very little evidence of either the NC, or the BoD, having 
listened to any of these argumentations, politely conveyed in the provided 
public fora.
Personally, I even doubt that some Board members have even read the comments 
on public fora before making a decision. I know Amadeu Abril, and I am sure 
that he did read each and every one of them, and I suspect that other 
Directors like the AtLarge Karl and Andy did, maybe a few more, but I would 
not bet on some others. Incidentally, I would be please by a post from every 
Director stating that he/she did read the postings on public fora on the 
subjects on which the Board had to take a decision.
(why do I doubt? I have witnessed the historic MdR meeting in which for the 
first (and last?) time new gTLDs have been added. It was obvious that some 
Directors have not even read the proposals they had to judge (or maybe read 
but not understood, which for me is worse)).

In the years the "moderately dissenting people" have appreciated in full the 
uselessness of their work. I would appreciate if anybody could point out an 
opinion of the Board that has been modified following substantial comment on 
a public forum.
Well, you get tired of it, and tend to stop working for nothing.
The many "moderate dissenting voices" have slowly reduced their presence. 
The food-fighters not. So the balance is changing, and there´s nothing we 
can do, except for the Board becoming more open to hear criticism and to act 
accordingly.

I have known and appreciated Danny for his contributions before becoming GA 
Chair. Then, during his chairmanship, we had the chance to talk in person. I 
have seen his position going from moderate to extreme, showing now sometimes 
a bitter attitude. Well, it is already a difficult task to herd the cats of 
the GA, but what is unbearable is to see that, once you reach consensus on 
something, it is completely disregarded. Or that the position that on paper 
is the second office in the DNSO is absolutely irrelevant in influencing 
"the way things go around here". This also explains why it is increasingly 
difficult to find volounteers to chair the GA.
How is this connected with the Board? Because the same situation is now 
being prepared for the AtLarge. The problem: how to give formal voice to the 
wide users of the Internet, avoiding the danger of having them influencing 
"the way things go around here".

In summary, I am afraid that while I agree in principle that the good 
attitude should be, as you point out, "to get some 'Balance'and some decent 
debate ,where if you dont win you shake hands and try again later", years of 
debating without having had the impression that the NC and/or the Board 
(i.e. the ones who decide) have not even listened to you or read your 
contributions push you to stop contributing.
I hope to be an isolated case, but if the Jon, the Thomas, the Alex, the 
Bret, and the many others reduce their participation due to frustration, 
guess who´s left?

Anyway, I´ll sit at the window and watch, waiting for a sign from ICANN 
(either the current one or the future one, I´m in no hurry) that to 
participate is worthed. You, Jonathan, are one of the people in the driver´s 
seat: please feel free to give, or push the Board to give, such sign at your 
earliest convenience.

Best regards
Roberto
(culturally biased, but in the other direction)

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