Re: [ifwp] How not to define membership classes

[Joop Teernstra <terastra@terabytz.co.nz>]

At 07:34 31/12/98 -0500, Milton Mueller  wrote:
>I hope I am not the only one who is aware of, and concerned about,
the
>blatant
>special interest power grab that makes up a major part of the
INTA
>proposal for a
>domain name supporting organization.
>
>(See
http://www.dnso.org/docs/dnso-draft-inta-bylaws.html)
>
<good arguments snipped for brevity>

Milton and all,

Well observed.  But even before the INTA- grab I had a concern about
how the dnso.org created constituencies and was horse-trading with the
ccTLD registries about them.

In my view special interest constituencies should be avoided
altogether.
My ideas for a broad membership for ICANN follow below.
( on the web at
http://www.democracy.org.nz/model.html)

Although ICANN is the most important organisation to have a broad
membership structure, 
I am posting it as part of this thread on DNSO constituencies, because of
the relevance of the single-constituency idea.
Sorry for the lenght and Happy New Year to you all.

Proposed Model of a limited
                     
Cyber Democracy

                                        
Introduction

                     
The most stable structure is the structure with the
                     
broadest base.

                     
At the base of the membership organisation that is to be
                     
ICANN should be a membership of at least a 100
                     
-500.000 individuals, not mere thousands or tens of
                     
thousands.

                     
This avoids the pitfalls of having to accept organisations
                     
as constituents and the resulting bickering about how to
                     
weigh their vote or input.

                     
A large organisation of individuals is also the best
                     
guardian against capture by any specific interest group.

                     
There is no need to re-invent democracy, but there is
                     
an opportunity to go back to purer forms, without
                     
giving in to demands for districts, regional
                     
representatives, special interest representatives and
                     
other attempts at gerrymandering of constituencies.

                     
Athenian democracy is a good model, suitable to serve
                     
as a basis from which the structure of cyber democracy
                     
can be allowed to evolve without inviting the chaos of a
                     
People's Republic of racketeers, demagogues or bullies.

                     
The limitation that I would propose on the total
                     
numbers is a qualification for membership: the
                     
individual ownership of a Domain Name.Company
                     
Domains are represented by one company representative.

                     
Those who wish to participate in the governance of the
                     
Names and Numbers should at least have Names or
                     
Numbers.

                     
This means that I am not proposing a People's Republic
                     
of all users , but a limited democracy of the property
                     
owners and the taxpayers.

                     
This democracy is simply there to protect them and
                     
their property from registry rackets that now have
                     
monopoly power to make, interpret and enforce rules
                     
that affect them.

                     
The at-large users should not be ignored and the
                     
Democracy should be tasked with drafting rules for
                     
petitions and on-line referenda to consult the at-large
                     
users from time to time.

                     
The first task however, is to stop the fights for control
                     
and replace them with a fair and orderly process.

                     
How the get the members.

                     
Existing Domain Name owners should be invited to join
                     
via email. Although this will involve mass emailing, as it
                     
concerns an offering of Rights this can be considered
                     
acceptable.

                     
All TLD Registries or their registrars should offer an
                     
ICANN membership option upon renewal or
                     
registration of each Domain Name (one membership
                     
per individual, not per Domain Name) by way of a tick
                     
box or a line in an email template.

                     
The membership fee should be nominal, say, not more
                     
than 5 dollars.

                      

                     
Members' Rights of participation and
election of
                     
representatives

                     
Members form a large collective gathering in the form
                     
of a members mailing list, the general convention.

                     
The rules for behaviour on this list will be established
                     
first by the membership advisory committee and voted
                     
on in the first general meeting.

                     
They should include rules for acceptable behaviour and
                     
ostracism for shorter or longer duration to combat
                     
disruptive behaviour.

                     
Each individual on this mailing list will have the right to
                     
post his opinions and run for elective office.

                     
Initially, the general convention itself has to assume the
                     
rights and duties of a parliament.

                     
As soon as the membership has reached 100.000, the
                     
general convention elects a parliament of 25
                     
representatives.

                     
This number is only increased when the membership
                     
exceeds 500.000 or when the general convention would
                     
ask for it.

                     
Voting takes place twice a year to ensure responsive
                     
behaviour of the elected in the face of fast paced
                     
development and change.

                     
Voting can be exercised by way of multiple preferential
                     
voting, giving the maximum of input per vote.

                     
This parliament will have rule making powers and it's
                     
deliberations will be public.

                     
All this will cost money, but the Domain Name owners
                     
will have to consider this as an insurance and an
                     
alternative to government mandated bureaucracy or
                     
dictatorship, that could cost them a lot more in the long
                     
run.

--Joop--

http://www.democracy.org.nz/