[ga] RE: Transfers TF Final Report

["Ross Wm. Rader" <ross@tucows.com>]

Danny - I respond not as an employee or representative, but as an
individual - Translation: I think I have some substance to add to the
discussion, but I am pressed for time and won't have a chance to consult
and determine how representative these views are.

Regarding the Registrar vote, the numbers can be sliced in any number of
ways - for instance, you could also read that as stating that 90% of the
voting registrars support some, but not all of the Task Force's
recommendations. I don't see 43% as being in opposition, but rather that
43% support having a voice during the implementation process to ensure
that their concerns are taken into account to the maximum extent
feasible. I don't disagree with this view insofar as it doesn't
interfere with the consensus policy process.

Regarding who the dissenting registrars are, I'm not sure what the
constituency policy is regarding our new voting systems. This type of
information would have to come from the Registrar Constituency Executive
Committee. As to what market share they represent, this is irrelevant.
Users are represented elsewhere, in varying degrees, by other DNSO
Constituency's. The Registrar Constituency is chartered to represent the
interests of businesses - registrar businesses, not users or other
interests.

Regarding the "small group" comment - I believe that Marilyn's comment
was related to those working outside of the TF and I think its an
accurate characterization. One cannot however draw a correlation between
the participants of this group and the 43%. 

Regarding the consensus of our constituency, I am not sure if we will
ever see it. Everytime we seem to be getting close, a counter-proposal
hits the table, someone changes their mind or procedural objections are
raised. I don't believe that it is wise to solely determine what the
community consensus is based solely on the existence or absence of
consensus within a self-interested group. I am sure that there is
consensus among prison inmates that fences are hindering their personal
development, but the larger community would probably tend to dispute
that and settle on a slightly different consensus.

I'm rather proud that the TF has put forth a series of recommendations
that is unconditionally supported by a majority of the voting members,
has broad support from 90% of the voting members and has the broad
support from the larger community. 

As far as the support that Chuck's document has v. the TF
recommendations, please note that there are incredible similarities
between what these two documents advocate, and for the most part, are
not mutually exclusive. Where there are differences however, I believe
that the voice of the total community should take precedence over that
of registrars. The TF work has been subject to peer and community input
for quite some time now. None of the other proposals considered by the
DNSO over the last year have been. As the TF mentions in its final
report, this is probably the single largest reason why these
recommendations should be adopted.

You state that "It could well be the case that those registrars that
have the most to lose simply don't trust the "presumption" that in all
cases the Gaining Registrar will apply due diligence to the
authentication process." I can only add that it doesn't surprise me that
those with market power will try to wield it against those that threaten
to diminish it. Those with "more" will always treat those with "less"
with suspicion. I would be disappointed with ICANN if it failed to
recognize the inherent irony.

Regarding the use of a third party - this idea has been raised many
times in the past. While I don't think that it is a bad idea on its
face, it is an expensive idea. It may be that over time, industry moves
to this type of model, but the community has stated many times in many
forms that we should really try to keep the solution as simple and
effective as possible.

Hope this clarifies somewhat, feel free to drop me a note if I can help
further.

                       -rwr




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> -----Original Message-----
> From: DannyYounger@cs.com [mailto:DannyYounger@cs.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 12:11 PM
> To: ross@tucows.com
> Cc: ga@dnso.org
> Subject: Transfers TF Final Report
> 
> 
> Ross,
> 
> Marilyn made the comment on the Transfers Discussion list 
> that "There is a 
> small group of registrars, who appear to be supported by some 
> in the registry 
> constituency -- who believe that it should be possible to 
> make substantive 
> changes during the implementation work to take into account 
> other views, or 
> new inputs, etc."   
> 
> Having taken note of the vote within the registrar constituency that 
> indicates that 43% of the eligible voting members do not 
> support "all" of the 
> principles enumerated by the Transfers Task Force, I am 
> concerned by (1) the 
> characterization of these parties as a "small group of 
> registrars" -- 43% is 
> no longer a "small group",  (2) the obvious attempt to route 
> around certain 
> unacceptable recommendations by recourse to the 
> implementation process, and 
> (3) the need to determine which recommendations are deemed 
> objectionable by 
> these parties.
> 
> With regard to (1), I would appreciate knowing who these dissenting 
> registrars are, and, if possible, what percent of total 
> registrations they 
> represent.
> 
> With regard to (2), rather than creating a situation in which 
> a large block 
> of registrars will attempt to game the policy process by 
> lobbying ICANN staff 
> to allow for favorable "modifications" in the implementation 
> phase, wouldn't 
> it make more sense to admit that a consensus on the 
> recommendations within 
> your constituency still doesn't exist, and to continue 
> working until a 
> reasonable degree of compromise is reached between the two 
> camps?  As far as 
> I can determine, there seems to be a greater amount of 
> support for the 
> transfer "Principles" cited by Chuck Gomes than there is for 
> the transfer 
> "Recommendations" as put forth by the Task Force... perhaps that is a 
> foundation upon which a concluding effort can be built.
> 
> With regard to (3), the average reader could well conclude 
> that the TF 
> recommendations are more than somewhat lopsided in favor of 
> the gaining 
> registrar... perhaps this is the major stumbling block that 
> is preventing the 
> emergence of consensus on the recommendations.  It could well 
> be the case 
> that those registrars that have the most to lose simply don't 
> trust the 
> "presumption" that in all cases the Gaining Registrar will apply due 
> diligence to the authentication process, and that they 
> consequently don't 
> wish to find themselves facing the financial and human 
> resource burden 
> associated with determining whether the registrant "intent" 
> to transfer was 
> legitimate.  You have already considered a dispute resolution 
> process... just 
> an idea, but has anyone looked at the possibility of a 
> neutral third party 
> authentication process?   The lack of trust between gaining 
> and losing 
> registrars might not be an issue if a trusted third party 
> were involved at 
> this critical stage.
> 

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