RE: [wg-review] Karl's assigned objective.

["Cindy Merry" <tomerrys@inter-linc.net>]

Michael:  I agree with most of what you say, however, in a world that has
some of the most sophisticated mass information/ advertising public
relation campaigns ever seen, I'd have to say that ICANN does a poor job of
communicating with us "bottom" users.  Granted we should all research and
delve to find the information which is available, but I admit I stumbled
onto ICANN also.  (And I do read Wired, The Industry Standard, etc).

To simply issue a press release will not get the information out to the
vast majority of users.  If we're suggesting ways for people to participate
(with whatever 'constituencies' we end up with),  perhaps we could
radically change the communication of information by and about ICANN and
it's purposes.  And the Domain Name Support Organization.  Perhaps we could
try to set up a standard that when you make an agreement with an Internet
Service Provider or someone hosts your site or you register for a domain
name or etc., that there is a simple form that explains and signs you up as
an ICANN "member" of some sort.  The user could opt out but at least the
information would be readily apparent and would increase the burden upon
the user to decide to participate as oppose to saying "we didn't know"?

Now before everyone jumps all over this;  (and explains all the different
reasons why it can't be done;  or how I missed the information about ICANN
when I signed up for six months with my ISP;  or how I missed it at Network
Solutions;  and all the difficulties of deciding who votes;  who represents
whom;  what the definition of consensus is;  what all the ulterior motives
are;  and everything else I'm sure I don't know;)   let's just think about
how you get people to participate.  Knowledge is power.  A well-informed
person can choose not to participate, but someone with no real information
never has the choice.  So I'm suggesting that perhaps ICANN needs a good
information campaign.  Not a public relations campaign, but an Information
campaign ... who we are, what we do, what this means to you Internet user,
etc.

See I think that awareness and notice by the public is healthy for any
organization, corporation, government, business, etc.    I also believe
that it is incumbent upon organizations that appear to represent and decide
the future of the public connectivity to strive to alert the public with
all possible means about decisions being made and changes suggested.  Then
it is up to the individual to decide to participate or not.
Thanks,  Cindy Merry
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-wg-review@dnso.org [mailto:owner-wg-review@dnso.org]On Behalf
Of Michael Bracker
Sent: Monday, January 08, 2001 2:02 PM
To: Bret Busby
Cc: wg-review@dnso.org
Subject: Re: [wg-review] Karl's assigned objective.

Hello Bret and *,

(probably a bit OT but that email won't change much on the traffic of the
list ... :)

On Tue, 9 Jan 2001, Bret Busby wrote:
> I found this mailing list, and, the opportunity to participate,
> completely by accident. I don't even remember how I found it.

good, that you found it at all :)

> I suggest that many millions of people who are clients of ISP's, across
> the world, would like to know what is happening in this area, and, want
> to be ale to particpate, by being allowed to have their say, and,
> therefore, input, into the procedures involved, but, who do not know
> anything about this.

how many people live on earth. How many people do have access to the
Internet? Do you know who is an ISP and who is not? Emailing all of them?
Sorry, this idea is IMO not working.

Also this mailing list has been announced on other mailing lists, where
people who have been involved for years are subscribed.

If you have a look through the interests of the people participating in
this list you will find everything (or at least much variety) from big
companies up/down to the normal Internet User (with or without a domain).

Whoever is interested in the processes around ICANN has IMO the
possibility to know what's going on around it (also regarding this mailing
list). The Internet is still a Pull- and not a Push-medium. If you want to
do/find/change something you have to take the action up. (if it is to be,
it is up to me ;)

> Thus, the Internet, and, the agencies controlling it, such as ICANN,
> appear to most people, to be dark and mysterious bodies, which operate
> in ways, and, with policies, known only to the selct few, with the
> common people having no input.

many eg. magazines write about ICANN and the directions in which the
community leads this organization to.
I do not know about Australia (also if I lived there for a year) but I can
imagine you will find stuff about ICANN over there, too ...


> Then, each person, who has an Internet accessing account, or, a person
> representing each organisation that has an Internet accessing account,
> could be allowed an opportunity to have input.

allowed? everyone is allowed to give input (even me ;). But as I said -
they have to take the first step. You can't force anyone to participate in
this process (I believe not many people are really interested in all the
policy-stuff - they just want to have their own little private space) and
the people who are intersted find a way to or are already participating.


> Until such actions occur, the Internet, and, its governing agencies,
> will still be restricted to a lucky few, or, they will be perceived as
> such.

the way the Internet develops is and will be in the hands of the people
interested in the way the Internet develops. Whoever wants the have
influence and have a say has the opportunity to do so ...


> I believe that it was a USA president, who said " governement of the
> people, by the people, for the people", or, something like that. To
> attain such a degree of democracry, and, democratic representation, I
> suggest that the above actions, via the ISP's, need to be performed, to
> make the Internet a democraticallt run institution.

not to quote Cicero "res publica res populi est" (from: "De re publica" -
meaning: "the 'Government' is up to the people", so the people have to
take action to choose the government and change the state(s structure)).

Of course it's up to all the people. But you also can't force the people
in RL to vote or take any actions in politics.


have a great day,
Mike

--
Michael Bracker  - if it is to be
Bavaria, Germany - it is up to me

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