Re: [ga] status of the GA

["Bret A. Fausett" <baf@fausett.com>]

Here's what I would like to see for the new year:

- The General Assembly should focus on becoming more representative in the
views it encompasses. I would like to see each constituency appoint one or
more "delegates" to the General Assembly. These delegates would be
responsible for following and participating in GA discussions and making
sure that the views of their constituencies on the matters under discussion
were fairly represented. This would further the goal of using the General
Assembly as a place for all constituencies to share views and find common
ground. 

- The NC should use the GA as a sounding board for identifying problem areas
that need addressing in WGs. For example, one of the items on the NC's
Business Plan for 2001 is discussion of new policies for whois. What,
specifically, are the concerns? Would changes in the policy have other
implications (such as on privacy)? This group could be used to at least get
all of the issues for discussion out on the table. Announcements from the
NC's Intake Committee should routinely be sent to the GA, to solicit its
feedback.

- The General Assembly should also become a place to discuss draft WG
reports and find ways to revise them toward consensus, not away from it.

- The signal to noise ratio is unacceptably high for many people. I don't
generally favor moderated or exclusionary lists, but we have to find a way
to bring people into the GA who are uncomfortable in this environment.
Ideally, we'd find a way for everyone to follow the discussions in the
manner best suited to themselves. Some would participate by list, some by
web-board, some by receiving only filtered responses forwarded by a
moderator perhaps.

         -- Bret 


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