[ga] Re: New TLD Evaluation Process : Specific Question to the Board

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@ntlworld.com>]

Stuart

I understand the fact that the NTEPPTF was used to decide how to proceed
with the NewTLD Evaluation Process, rather than carrying out that Evaluation
itself, but my point about the Appendix U documents is this:

Twelve months after the .info Sunrise fiasco it does seem extraordinary that
the ICANN community as a whole does not have access to those documents which
Afilias was bound to provide - and to provide according to a very specific
timetable - which will equip the whole community to make more informed
judgments about what happened and how things could be improved.

The answers we have received to date do not confirm to the GA that Afilias
actually submitted all the required documentation or submitted it on time.
They do not adequately explain why they have remained unavailable for months
beyond their confidentiality release dates (though many had no
confidentiality constraints anyway). They do not address the need for
information of central relevance to be made openly and transparently
available to the ICANN community.

My concern is that there is public frustration in some quarters (which I do
not necessarily share) that ICANN seems to be stalling on the release of any
further NewTLDs. At the same time, if the data from the Registries is
withheld (as it has been) then the various constituencies and the general
public are unable to develop their own understanding of the issues. It seems
too much like the ICANN Board wanting to control the flow of information and
string out the New TLDs Evaluation Process (which surely should be urgently
in process by now).

I realise that you have personally undertaken to define at Shanghai how the
process should be moved forward, but all parties with interests in the
administration of the DNS should have the right of access to this valuable
data - and not just the ICANN staff. The problem of staff not having time to
"review" this material is, frankly, unimpressive. When I was responsible for
hundreds of prisoners, I quite often suffered from staff shortages, but
priorities still had to be undertaken, and I was still accountable and
subject to open processes. Admittedly, blaming the "missing documents" on
staff shortages is consistent with your calls for more funding, but I am
astonished that time could not be found to release documents which were
never meant to be kept confidential anyway - the terms of Appendix U made
that perfectly clear to Afilias in the first place.

I can think of few issues more urgent than a complete and detailed review of
what went wrong (or right!) with the release of the NewTLDs. This Evaluation
has repercussions for the future shape of the DNS. I therefore hope that by
the Shanghai meeting we will have access to all relevant documents (as
permitted in the case of Appendix U) and that the Evaluation Process will be
set in motion properly (because at present it appears to be on ice).

Incidentally, what is the future of those who worked on the NTEPPTaskForce?
Will they be retained as a Task Force to move the work forward? Who exactly
is going to co-ordinate the Process? What mechanisms will there be for all
constituencies to participate? Will the Evaluation be carried out
objectively and independently of the ICANN Board?

The release of the NewTLDs was - as you must know - hugely controversial and
riven with problems which impacted on consumers (and registrars too). The
Evaluation cannot therefore be delayed much longer, or carried out without
full public access to data and all the facts.

Could you offer a date for the release of the Appendix U documents, so they
are accessible online? Thank you.

I repeat another question: What is the point of a "proof of concept" or an
evaluation process if you withhold the vital data which the Registries
involved were supposed to have submitted?

The greater part of this data should have been in the public domain months
ago.

Regards

Richard H


----- Original Message -----
From: M. Stuart Lynn <lynn@icann.org>
To: Richard Henderson <richardhenderson@ntlworld.com>; <ga@dnso.org>
Cc: <halloran@icann.org>; vint cerf <vcerf@mci.net>
Sent: Monday, September 02, 2002 6:21 PM
Subject: Re: New TLD Evaluation Process : Specific Question to the Board


> There is confusion in the question and some of the subsequent responses.
>
> The appendices to which you refer have relevance to the evaluation
> itself not to the NTEPPTF report. The latter is not an evaluation,
> but contains recommendations to the board on how to proceed with an
> evaluation. The task force did not require access to these appendices
> or any other similar information in order to frame its
> recommendations.
>
> Stuart
>


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