Re: [wg-c] Well, maybe this won't work

[John Charles Broomfield <jbroom@manta.outremer.com>]

Iam getting more and more convinced that we're being asked to put the cart
in front of the horse.
The question of "should there be more gTLDs?" apart from the overly
defensive trademark lobbies seems to be answered by most by "yes".
Unfortunately, it's a rather meaningless question.

I *feel* that the question of "what criteria should be used to choose
registry operating entities?" is nearly as meaningless, as we need to know
exactly what type of beast we're talking about with respect to TLDs before
we can know what we want to ask from the enities that
operate/maintain/run/manage (take your pick) them.

If we don't know under what are the rules (for example: is it a background
database operation? Is the operator obliged to adhere to a common standard
for inter-operation with registrars? Indeed, is it obligated to have
registrars? Can it also have a registrar operation? Is it obliged to escrow
data? etc...), then it's a bit difficult to set criteria by which we choose
potential candidates for this service.

In other words, this "criteria setting" looks a bit to me like:
Erm, we don't know what an operator is going to be running, or how it will
be running it, but lets set criteria anyway.

For those saying "we DO know what the operator will be running: it will be
one (or more) gTLDs), I would advise them to look around. What I expect from
a registry operating entity is *probably* VERY different from what Chris
Ambler would want to give, and trying to find common ground on that would
probably only draw up meaningless criteria. Logical criteria, but quite
useless. things like:
-the entity must exist
-must be economically stable (some sort of guarantees)
-must have employees
-must have computers
-must be connected to the internet

Yes, we (most of us anyway) want more gTLDs. Yes, we (most of us anyway) want
some (many?) more registry operating entities. Yes, these entities are
"obliged" to exist.

They are very vague affirmations. No REAL substance that we didn't expect
before. Useless. Reminds me of a joke (*).

The only way we are going to get any substancial advance will be once the
situation of NSI gets clarified. It *sounds* as if DoC, ICANN & NSI will be
able to present some sort of clarification before the end of September, if
so, then we *MIGHT* be able to get some work done. 

I continue to recommend the same position:
Return a statement to ICANN indicating that at present, the uncertainties
surrounding NSI leave us in a stalemate position. Once they clear that up,
we can proceed.

Yours, John Broomfield.

> Same here, though I question the wisdom of fixing the number
> at 6-10. Assuming 1 TLD per new registry, that means 6-10
> new registries. By what criteria are they chosen?
> 
> I'll ask that again, as it's the pivot of the situation: by what
> criteria are the new registries chosen?
> 
> Christopher
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Mikki Barry <ooblick@netpolicy.com>
> To: wg-c@dnso.org <wg-c@dnso.org>
> Date: Friday, September 10, 1999 8:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [wg-c] Well, maybe this won't work
> 
> 
> >I say add the 6 to 10 new gTLDs, and make the evaluation period VERY 
> >quick.  It's already been far too long.

(*)
A guy is flying in a hot air balloon, but unfortunately because opf clouds
all over the place, he loses his direction completely. Suddenly he notices a
clearing in the clouds just below, so he operates the ballon to descend and
he suddenly sees a man standing in a field below him. The guy shouts down to
the man "Where am I?". The man below thinks for a moment and shouts back up
"You're in a hot air balloon flying 50' above a field". The guy in the
balloon shouts back "You're a mathmetician aren't you?" The man in the
field, suprised asks "How do you know that?". "Well, you're statement was
precise, 100% correct and completely useless".

For some the joke has a continuation:

The guy in the field thinks about this for a moment and shouts back "You're
a middle manager aren't you?". The man in the balloon astounded asks "How do
you know THAT?". "Well, you don't know where you are or where you're going,
you're no wiser now than you were before, but now it's my fault..."