Re: [ga] Blueprint to purge the critics

[Jonathan Weinberg <weinberg@mail.msen.com>]

At 02:07 PM 6/24/2002 -0400, Ross Wm. Rader wrote:

>[snip]
>Concering the comments regarding list moderation, its my impression that the
>ERC envisions an assembly with a very focused purpose.


         I read the ERC document differently, Ross.  The GA, in that 
document, is "a cross-constituency meeting place," "for the exchange of 
information and ideas."  That is, it is an organization with *no* focused 
purpose, apparently for unfocused chatting.  Any real work that utilizes GA 
members will take place not in the GA proper, but in "working groups, 
drafting committees, and task forces" directed by the Council.  (After all, 
*real* work would result in recommendations, and the ERC document is 
adamant that the GA shall make none.)

         None of this is new; it has always been the NC's understanding of 
the role of the GA.  (Indeed, one of the striking thing about the Blueprint 
is the extent to which it carries forward the current DNSO untouched, 
expect for spinning the tame ccTLDs off into their own SO.)  The only 
problem with NC's current understanding, from the NC's own perspective, is 
that the GA has tended to become restive -- to think that it as a body 
should have a role in the policy-making process.  The ERC proposal attempts 
to prevent that in mandating that the GA shall not see itself as a "forum 
for making decisions or recommendations," shall take no formal positions, 
and shall have no discussion that is not moderated by (or under the 
supervision of) a member of the Council.

Jon


Jonathan Weinberg
weinberg@msen.com

--
This message was passed to you via the ga@dnso.org list.
Send mail to majordomo@dnso.org to unsubscribe
("unsubscribe ga" in the body of the message).
Archives at http://www.dnso.org/archives.html