Re: [wg-review] Representative Figures

[Sotiropoulos <sotiris@hermesnetwork.com>]

Philip Sheppard wrote:
> 
> I believe the posted set of constituency figures missed the fact that in
> many constituencies members are associations. Indeed the majority membership
> of the business constituency is trade associations. Counting up the members
> of the associations leads to the BC assertion:
> 
> "Through its individual and association membership the Business Constituency
> of the Domain Name Supporting Organisation groups 28,000 companies world
> wide who want to use the Internet to conduct business. Its members are
> customers of providers of connectivity, domain name and related services. "

Philip, do these extended "members" have the right
to vote on BC issues and to select their BC
representatives?  Or is this an exclusive
prerogative of the 68 Members who have paid their
dues and are listed on the BC web site?  By your
reasoning, it may also be argued that Verisign
represents the interests of all of its domain
registrants.  But, I can assure you that this is
far from the truth.  The statement you mention on
the BC site is actually quite misleading if you
analyze the reality of the situation, which is
that only 68 Members are listed, plain and
simple.  True, some are trade associations, but
most are corporations with their own interests in
mind, not that of their customers. 

The reality of the situation is that most
individuals and small businesses (not to mention
medium and large sized ones) who use the Internet
for commercial purposes are *not* represented by
the Business Constituency of the DNSO (or any
other for that matter).  To contend otherwise is
to blatantly ignore the facts as they are posted
on the BC website.  I suspect that this has partly
to do with a lack of outreach efforts, and a high
membership fee among other things.  In any case,
this issue of representation is indeed a problem
as the common denominator of the Internet is not
represented in any of the DNSO's constituencies:
the Individuals, i.e. those who comprise the bulk
of the commercial users of the Internet.  To their
credit, the BoD recognizes these and other
problems inherent in the current DNSO structure. 
When will the NC acknowledge them?

Sincerely,

Sotiris Sotiropoulos
	Working Chair, WG Review
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