Proposal for a method of accrediting new registrars

[Michael Sondow <msondow@iciiu.org>]

I made a suggestion today, addressed to members of ORSC and AIP, regarding a
proposal for implementing new registrars that was offered to the
discuss@dnso.org list a few days ago by Dr. Eberhard Lisse, who runs the
Namibian registry and is the chairman of an African registry and registrars
association.

Because I think it is a good proposal, and because its use might help the
DNSO to effect a more equitable solution to the problem than ICANN itself is
able to do, retricted as ICANN is by its own MoU with the same agency - NTIA
- that has signed the MoU with NSI, I would like to offer this proposal and
suggestion to the open lists.

Einar Stefferud has rightly brought up the question to what degree the
current ICANN policy in this regard will perpetuate NSI's control over other
new registrars and registries. I have suggested below that this could be
ameliorated to some extent if the DNSO were to take in hand the
implementation of Dr. Lisse's proposal. 

I'll leave it up to the list members to make of this what they will.

.........................................................
Taking the problem of selection of registrars off the shoulders of the 
ICANN BoD and putting it up to the DNSO would ameliorate ICANN's difficult 
present position between NSI and the registrars, and put registrar
accreditation where it belongs, into the sphere of the DNSO.

To the suggestion that the NSI/NTIA MoU is wrong and should be
disqualified or avoided, I might agree; nevertheless, it does exist and is
being implemented. Why not take this opportunity to begin replacing
NTIA policy with policy from the DNSO rather than from ICANN?

An effective way of ensuring that the current ICANN new registrar process, 
which is evidently part and parcel of the NTIA/NSI MoU, doesn't apply to 
all other registries and registrars would be for the DNSO to supply policy
for
it, which the DNSO has every right to do, rather than obliging the ICANN
Board to do so. Dr. Lisse's proposal provides an unimpeachable method for
doing this.


> }................................................................
> }Proposal to Tender Out New Registrars (by Eberhard Lisse)
> }
> }Form a tender committee with experts beyond reproach (people
> }like Paul Vixie, Alan Barret, John Quarterman, Robert ELz, Randy Bush,
> }Stefano Trumpy) a lawyer (someone like Tamar Frankel?) and a Prof from
> }a Business school.
> }
> }Publish a tender specification.
> }
> }Accept sealed bids on a deadline.  To avoid nuisance bids, ask for a
> }substantial non refundable fee up front. That will pay for the travel
> }of the experts.
> }
> }Then have each expert evaluate each tender by way of allocating points
> }from a finite number of points for each application (in general, or
> }for each "part" of the tender). Publish the  guidelines.
> }
> }The applications with the most points win.
> }
> }Publish the points table.
> }.....................................................................