Re: [ifwp] Re: Unannounced, non-public meeting in Washington on , Jan. 21?

[Jim Dixon <jdd@matthew.uk1.vbc.net>]

On Sun, 10 Jan 1999, Esther Dyson wrote:

> I'd also like to remind folks that secret deals are pretty tough to enforce
> in the face of open meetings, open discussion, and the like. Even if you
> believed (and I do not) that some nefarious plot was about to be hatched on
> the evening of jan 21, what good would it do the plotters if they couldn't
> keep the parties in line thereafter?  ICANN will be looking at the SO
> proposals as submitted, not at (nonexistent) secret deals behind them.  The

All of this would make sense if ICANN itself were an open organization.
As it is, sure, the 22 January meeting will be open, but its conclusions
will be passed to the ICANN board, a body appointed by a secret process,
one whose deliberations are behind closed doors, and one lacking any sort
of mandate from the Internet community.

These are not minor failings.  They are fundamental.

We have now gone through about three years of being told that various
parties (IAHC, POC, IANA, ICANN, and so forth) want to hear suggestions.
We submit them.  We are thanked profusely and told with the utmost air 
of sincerity that [the current group] will get back to us real soon now.
Then some process occurs behind closed doors and some changes are 
announced.  Most of the changes bear no resemblence to anyone's 
suggestion.  Usually they just get stranger and stranger, then the 
process breaks down, and we are on to a new acronym.

> accepted proposals will comprise the bylaws, membership criteria, voting
> structures, review processes,  etc. etc. that the SOs and their members (and
> ICANN) will have to adhere to - with everyone watching.  
>
> I'm not saying that the whole world is squeaky-clean and bright, but we are
> subjecting it to an awful lot of sunshine.  Don't curse the darkness; come
> shine a light. 

Start shining a light yourself.  Open up ICANN's processes -- or lack of
them.   We don't need any more Boston-type meetings, where the ICANN 
board comes to listen to and then ignore the Internet community.  We need 
the opposite.  We need an open ICANN, one that shows some understanding
of what it is supposed to be doing and then does it, does it in public,
where anyone and everyone can see the mistakes as well as the successes.

Once you have done that, then come tell us not to curse the darkness.
Ms Dyson, most of the darkness that we are cursing is under your
management.

> Esther Dyson

--
Jim Dixon                                                 Managing Director
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