Re: [ga] Matters to discuss

["Michael Froomkin - U.Miami School of Law" <froomkin@law.miami.edu>]

These are excellent points.  I might add that so far as I am aware few of
the ICANN bodies have made sustained attempts to secure volunteer aid in
kind instead of in cash.

For example, I imagine that both ICANN and the DNSO could find volunteers
to take over design, maintenance, and perhaps even hosting of their web
pages.   But AFIK they have never asked - there's nothing visible on the
web page as far as I can see, for example.  There are of course issues of
ownership and control, but these surely could be worked out.

Lean and mean, please.  And competitive tenders too.

On Tue, 22 Feb 2000, Kent Crispin wrote:

> the endless stuff about process.  Here's what I think is a real 
> business item:
> 
> I would like to call people's attention to 
> 
> http://www.dnso.org/clubpublic/council/Arc03/msg00428.html
> 
> entitled "[council] DNSO budget proposal".  I reproduce the salient 
> parts, below:
> 
> > Staff
> > * 2 persons:
> > - 1 Senior Assistant Elisabeth (1/2 time)
> > - 1 Junior Assistant (full time)
> > - Sub contracts for the technical tasks (< engineers)
> > 
> > Salaries: 75  000
> > Charges and Offices accomodation: 75 000
> > 
> > * Web Hosting/Machines/Connectivity: 25 000
> > * Teleconference: 20 pers x 2hours x 25tele/year  15 000
> > * Travels: 10 000$ x 2 persons 20 000
> > * GA Chair + Alternate chair:
> >   Only Travels and telephone are paid. 20 000
> > * Unexpected 10 000
> > * Accounting and Billing 5% of all expenses 12 000
> > 
> > TOTAL ~ 250 000U$
> > 
> > Benefits:
> > 
> > 125 000 to be paid by Constituencies
> > 125 000 to be paid by ICANN
> > 
> > To be negotiate with the ICANN Board
> > Names council = the travels and arrangements? Who is paying?
> > All public meetings : 4 annual meetings + webcast to be charged to ICANN +
> > Legal advice if needed
> > 19 Persons in NC
> 
> With some exceptions, these costs seem high.  I am especially concerned
> because, bluntly, some constituencies have much more money than others.
> But perhaps more important than the cost per se is the basic appoach 
> being taken -- different constituencies have different ways of
> getting work done; some depend a great deal on volunteer efforts.
> 
> - Concerning "Web Hosting / Machines / Connectivity": In the US *very*
> full-featured web hosting can be had for < $100/month, with multiple
> email lists, and so on.  More directly, excellent colocation space can
> be had for ~$500/month -- that would include space for two powerful
> machines, which would give a complete redundant backup.  High quality,
> powerful server machines can be had for about $3000 each. 
> 
> - What are the tasks that the full-time junior assistant would 
> perform?  Currently I know that maintaining the DNSO site occupies a 
> great deal of Elisabeth's time, but there must be a bunch of new tasks 
> predicted for this new person, and it would be good to know what they 
> are -- I am having a hard time imagining what they might be.  
> 
> - Since there is a lot of overhead in office space, I wonder if
> economies might be achieved by using ICANN's office space, instead of
> separate office space.
> 
> Finally, I have a more general concern -- "lockin".  If there is 
> anything we should all be *very* aware of, it is the danger of 
> committing yourself to a single vendor for provision of service.  
> Please understand that I think that Elisabeth has done a great job.  
> But if we are transitioning from a volunteer service to a hired 
> service, then we must consider things from a different angle.

-- 

A. Michael Froomkin   |    Professor of Law    |   froomkin@law.tm
U. Miami School of Law, P.O. Box 248087, Coral Gables, FL 33124 USA
+1 (305) 284-4285  |  +1 (305) 284-6506 (fax)  |  http://www.law.tm
                        -->It's warm here.<--


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