[wg-c] ICANN Power

[Dave Crocker <dcrocker@brandenburg.com>]

At 01:03 PM 2/5/2000 , Jonathan Weinberg wrote:
>         1. Kent writes:
> >It is not clear at this point that ICANN has the power to create a
> >new TLD of any kind -- recall that it is DoC that currently holds the
>...
>         I think this is quite mistaken.  I'm writing from the dubious 
> perspective
>of having worked closely with all of the USG players on this issue, most

Jonathan,

I believe your are failing to distinguish de jure from de facto 
power.  Yes, ICANN appears to have formal authority, although the de jure 
reality has not been formally tested.  In any event, the process is 
entirely crippled.

There has been a concerted effort to create new gTLDs for more than FIVE 
YEARS and none have been created.  ICANN is no longer brand new and none 
have been created.  The best guess that anyone is offering is another 
year.  But it turns out that is the usual amount cited when one has no idea 
what process will actually make it happen or when.  So the estimate is 
meaningless.


>But I'm quite confident that if a new gTLD proposal runs the gauntlet of
>the ICANN process, it will be approved by USG.  And I think that ICANN

And the problem is that there IS NO ICANN process for this.  Not really.

Hence the various constituencies seeking infinite delay have an extremely 
effective sandbox.  Those seeking new gTLDs do not.

Five years of history substantiate my claim.  If you are so certain your 
opinion is correct, then you should be able to provide an equally 
convincing basis.


>         2. Kent points out that we haven't done much to develop the 
> processes for
>the introduction of new TLDs, and he's right  -- it's nice that we've got
>recommendations about the need for new TLDs, and about the size of the
>initial rollout, but that's only the first step. We still have before us
>issues including:  What process should ICANN use to select new gTLD

I do not know how many development or specification efforts you have been 
involved in, but my experience over the last 25 years is that those taking 
more than a year to produce anything substantive almost always fail.

In this case, we are two years down the ICANN path and have nothing except 
the vaguest of agreements, on which no substantial action can be taken.

Further, we have fresh evidence that event the simplest enhancement to the 
system (.eu) will be resisted strongly.  (Resistance sometimes is cast as 
support, albeit support that distracts or creates convoluted processes 
certain to fail.)


>         The fault for this, over the past few weeks, has been mine -- 
> I've had the

Oh, I suppose one might criticise your effectiveness as chair.  It's always 
appealing to think that some other leader could have done better, and it's 
sometimes correct.

But the issue is not a matter of weeks but many, many months, and a pattern 
of participant behavior that makes logical sequencing of the work, and 
focusing on each stage, impossible, absent a significant change in the 
process of the discussion.

d/

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Dave Crocker  <dcrocker@brandenburg.com>
Brandenburg Consulting  <www.brandenburg.com>
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