Re: [ga] ICANN uses for-profit companies as "comparables" in its employee compensation

["Jeffrey A. Williams" <jwkckid1@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

George and all,

  Nice recount of already known actual ICANN history.  >:)

  My personal best but not only mentor once uttered: "The most
important word in the english language is NO", P.T. Barnum.
Seems that ICANN staffers, and in particular Mr. Twomey doesn't
subscribe that this common wisdom.  Seems lately, neither does
Vint and/or perhaps the Google executive staff given recent
initiatives and events.

  And so again, the ICANN saga continues...

George Kirikos wrote:

> Thanks to Kieren McCarthy's inspiration on the CircleID blog:
>
> http://www.circleid.com/posts/20090105_icann_for_profit_companies_comparables/
>
> I thought it might be educational to analyze his past insights into
> ICANN, before he joined the payroll, namely an article at:
>
> http://www.mail-archive.com/nettime-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx/msg03339.html
>
> http://kierenmccarthy.co.uk/2006/03/01/icann-approves-dotcom-contract-signs-own-death-warrant/
> (original, backup made just in case it disappears)
>
> 1. "But the fact remains that ICANN retains the same culture where
> ageing chairman Vint Cerf continues to push his personal and out-dated
> views and undermines anyone that argues with him, and CEO Paul Twomey
> continues to cut any secret deal he can that will give him control of a
> more powerful organisation."
>
> Is the CEO of an organization that is allegedly cutting secret deals
> one that should be awarded bonuses for superior performance?
>
> 2. "Should VeriSign be given permanent control of the dotcom registry?
> The answer is startlingly obvious: No, it shouldn't. It is in no-one's
> interests except VeriSign's."
>
> Oops, this appears to be an ICANN failure. Should the Board
> compensation committee be rewarding failure??
>
> 3. "Should VeriSign be allowed to raise prices? No, of course not. The
> prices of domains are going down. Why on earth is ICANN pulling itself
> into a contract that rips people off? How stupid does it have to be?"
>
> Oops, they did it again. Yet another ICANN failure. Once again, should
> the Board compensation committee be rewarding failure??
>
> 4. "The problem with getting used to cutting dodgy deals is that, after
> a while, the human being becomes incapable of recognising when they
> should just say No. The individual loses that vital bit of wider
> clarity which marks great men from powerful men."
>
> Is ICANN's compensation committee able to say "No" and stand up for
> what is right? Have they lost clarity?
>
> 5. "ICANN has been through a hell of a lot in the past decade but just
> when it thinks it is the most powerful and stable it has ever been, the
> irony is that it has never been weaker."
>
> Given the contents of the recent USDOJ and DOC letters on new gTLDs,
> this statement rings even truer today. If ICANN wants to get back on
> the right track, correcting past mistakes is critical. Thus, I
> reiterate that paying for poor performance is the wrong path.
> Overpaying by using an inappropriate set of comparables for employee
> compensation is the wrong path, as it wastes the precious resources
> that the public has entrusted with ICANN, namely their money. It's one
> thing to waste one's own money, but far more serious to waste the money
> that others trust you to manage on their behalf as a custodian.
>
> Kudos to Kieren for inspiring the above analysis. His words of wisdom
> above should echo into eternity, and be required reading for new
> employees of ICANN, the new ones that replace the overpaid and
> underperforming ones that depart.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> George Kirikos
> http://www.leap.com/

Regards,

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