[wg-c] CONSENSUS CALL -- selecting the gTLDs in the initial rollout

[Jonathan Weinberg <weinberg@mail.msen.com>]

	This is the first of the two consensus calls that I mentioned in the
message I sent last Tuesday.  In our recent straw poll, there was a strong
majority in favor of the proposition that ICANN should play some part in
choosing the new gTLDs.  There was also a majority in favor of the
proposition that the initiative, in selecting the new gTLDs, should come
from the registries themselves.  These results -- if they accurately
reflect perceptions within the working group -- suggest the only approach
with a chance of winning rough consensus in the WG for selecting the gTLDs
in the initial rollout is the one recently urged by Sheppard and Mueller:

Registries would apply describing their proposed TLD, and an ICANN body or
process would make selections taking into account the characteristics of
both the registry and its proposed TLD.  

	I'm putting that plan forward as a consensus call, and I strongly urge all
of you to support it.  I'm not making that call because I think this is the
overwhelming best result on the merits (though I think it's a pretty good
one).  The is the compromise middle ground between those who would have
registries choose gTLD names and charters without ICANN involvement, and
those who would have ICANN choose gTLD names and charters before soliciting
applications from registries.  The straw vote suggests that if we are to
reach any form of compromise rough consensus on this issue, this proposal
is how we will do so. As with the 6-10 compromise proposal, we need to
reach compromise — we need to wrap this process up — and I think this
proposal is the ground on which we can do so.  Otherwise we'll stay stalled.

	I'm limiting this consensus call to selecting the gTLDs *for the initial
rollout*, and leaving open how gTLDs might be selected in the longer term.
It may be that in the long run, we'd have other approaches.  But if we can
reach compromise on this narrow issue for the initial rollout, then we can
move forward towards actual deployment of new gTLDs in our lifetimes.

	Please send in a message, under this subject heading, by midnight UTC on
March 19 indicating whether you support or oppose the proposed compromise
position.

	Thanks.

Jon


Jon Weinberg
co-chair, WG-C
weinberg@msen.com