RE: [wg-c] STRAW POLL

["Rod Dixon, J.D., LL.M." <rod@cyberspaces.org>]

QUESTION ONE
	Please select from the following possibilities, *as applied to the
deployment of new gTLDs in the name space over the medium to long term*:

I select 4 as best of the choices listed for the LONG term.

4. ICANN should simply select new registries and leave issues of names and
charters (including whether to limit the universe of people who can
register in the domain, and if so how) to the new registries.


QUESTION TWO
	The working group has reached and reaffirmed a recommendation that the
initial expansion of the name space should consist of six to ten new gTLDs,
followed by an evaluation period.  Please select from the following
possibilities, *as applied to that initial rollout*.

I select 3 as best of the choices listed.

3. ICANN, in selecting new gTLDs in the initial rollout, should approve
some chartered gTLDs and some unchartered ones.  (Alternatively, ICANN
should require that all gTLDs have charters, but it should approve some
gTLDs with charters that meaningfully limit the universe of people who can
register in the gTLD, and some gTLDs with charters that do not impose any
such limits.)


QUESTION THREE
	The issue of chartered gTLDs is tied up with the larger issue of how ICANN
should select new gTLDs -- in particular, whether (a) ICANN itself should
be the final arbiter of new gTLDs' names and charters, or (b) ICANN should
simply select new registries and leave the choice of names and charters to
them.  I think that at this point we can't avoid confronting the larger
question of how ICANN should pick new TLDs in the initial rollout.
(Actually, we're returning to the question; part of last summer's straw
poll spoke to the same issue.  The results then were inconclusive.)  Please
select from among these possibilities:

6. (OTHER) ICANN, through a working group or otherwise, identifies a set of
character strings for 6-10 UNCHARTERED gTLDs to be introduced in the initial
rollout.  For the chartered gTLDs and the subsequent rollout of additional
TLDs, ICANN accepts/picks registries according to objective criteria.   Once
accepted/selected, registries may pick their own gTLD strings and associated
charters (if any), subject to a process under which ICANN can resolve
conflicts and can deem certain gTLD strings out of bounds. (Of course, there
must be some careful thought as to how ICANN should  ensure that chartered
gTLDs do not ignore their charter without ICANN, itself, becoming unduly
engaged in the regulation or management of chartered registries).

Rod Dixon, J.D., LL.M.
www.cyberspaces.org
rod@cyberspaces.org