[nc-org] Feedback from the Meeting

["Milton Mueller" <mueller@syr.edu>]

Fellow Task Forcers:

I don't know about you, but I came away 
from the annual meeting with a positive
feeling. Most people involved in ICANN 
seem at last to be ready to make the 
compromises required to move forward.

Regarding the ORG divestiture, I spoke 
with many people there about this issue.
We held a public consultation on Tuesday
morning that was well attended. Notes
from that meeting will be circulated.
The community is beginning to pay 
attention to ORG and to realize its 
significance now.

I also had a good discussion with 
Andrew McLaughlin about some of the
practical requirements of the RFP 
process. More about that in a separate
message.

Based on thes discussions, I have prepared
another draft, which I believe to be
greatly improved. Permit me to summarize
here what is changed, and then in my next
message I will send draft 4.1 for your
comment. 

First, I included in the statement a
rationale for the choice of "sponsored
unrestricted." I found myself explaining
this concept repeatedly in Marina del
Rey, and while almost everyone buys into
the logic once they hear it, it is clear
that we need to explain it in the document,
as it represents a departure from existing
TLD categories.

Second, I have eliminated the specific 
limit on application fees. As some comments
pointed out, this gets too close to RFP
substance rather than policy. Also there
are some doubts about whether ICANN can
use the $5 million for the review of 
applications. While I would still oppose
an oversized application fee such as $50,000,
we as a Task Force would have the opportunity
to object to such a fee when we review the
RFP.

I have eliminated the statement that the
Sponsoring Organization need not be 
incorporated at the time of making the
application. 

I have eliminated the metion of the 
CEDRP. Almost no one understood what a
CEDRP was, and the use of a CEDRP seems
to be inconsistent with our policy
anyway. 

Based on discussions with registrar
representatives, I have modified the 
language regarding contractual relations
between the SO and registrars to 
encourage applicants to find the least
burdensome way to differentiate the domain.

Finally, I have tried to develop a
specific list of decision criteria that
the Board could use to select among
applicant Sponsoring Organizations.

Look forward to your comments.
Let's keep in mind that we need to give
something to the Names Council to pass
by our next teleconference in December.
We have no choice but to be done by 
about December 8.

--MM