RE: [ga] General Comments on the agenda

[R.Gaetano@iaea.org]

Gordon,

You wrote:
	<snip>

> BTW as far as who starts the attacks.  In early january I published a 
> note saying that I had heard a RUMOR that core had a take-over of the 
> dnso worked out and underway.  I asked people to let me know if this 
> was just a rumor or if there were any substance to it.  I had no idea 
> that Javier even existed until he sent me a private flame wondering 
> why anyone would ever buy the "kook" report.  The six months since 
> then bear out the soundness of the rumor if one can manage to look 
> with any objectivity at the membership of the names council and the 
> behavior of "mr" sola.
> 
Pardon me, but I don't see the link between CORE and Javier Sola.
 
> And what prey tell is the "general assembly?"  A powerless supporting 
> organization for another "supporting organization" which since its 
> policy can be over ruled at will by the icann board, also has no 
> power.  In the ensuing vacuum it is amusing to see javier rant and 
> stomp his feet.  If the IAB behaved as the names council has I 
> strongly suspect that the IETF would rise and throw it out.
> 
The General Assembly is what it should be in first place, i.e. a forum in
which ideas circulate and are discussed.

It is too early to see whether the Assembly will have a real power or not.
For the time being, with the membership issues (ICANN + DNSO) still under
discussion, it is not clear.

One thing I would say loud and clear, even if I am going to attract flames:
I have some sympathy for the "direct democracy" model as opposed to the
"representative democracy" model, in particular for self-governance of the
Internet, but if this "direct democracy" is a right that is exerced only by
an insignificant minority of the users, pretending to speak for everybody,
it will not work.

Put in practical terms, I am frightened by the idea of a General Assembly
that will have just a couple of hundred participants. I much prefer, at that
point, to have the decisions taken by the Council.

Regards
Roberto