RE: [ga] Wallpapering the NTIA

["Michael Collins" <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Roberto,

Thank you for your thoughtful response. It helps to put ICANN's solicitation
of support for the Board's position in perspective.

I understand that the NTIA is the one taking the poll. However, it still
seems to me that it would have been more helpful to the NTIA if ICANN had
provided, in addition to its own position, a neutral poll of the ICANN
community at the ICANN website.

Best regards,
Michael Collins
Internet Commerce Association
+1. 202 657 4570


-----Original Message-----
From: Roberto Gaetano [mailto:roberto@xxxxxxxxx] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 12, 2008 2:41 PM
To: 'Michael Collins'; 'General Assembly of the DNSO'
Subject: RE: [ga] Wallpapering the NTIA


Two comments on this issue.

First of all, I think that there is a bit of confusion on the roles. In this
case, ICANN is not at all conducting a public inquiry among stakeholders
about their opinion on the JPA. If this were the case, it would be
absolutely appropriate for ICANN keep a neutral profile, solicit opinions
for and against, count them, provide room for individual comments, etc.
However, the situation is that NTIA is conducting the poll, which means that
it will be them to evaluate the matter. ICANN is in this situation not the
judge, but one of the affected parties. And it seems pretty logical that it
would seek support for its position, not statement of disagreement: if
statements of disagreements are to be collected, it seems to me pretty
natural that this task should be carried on by somebody else.

Second, and maybe more interesting (at least as a theoretical speculation).
Karl argues that this action would be at best irrelevant, if not
counterproductive. There may be some truth in this. Speaking personally, the
sending of multiple cloned expressions of support or opposition is something
that is foreign to my cultural background and not my preferred way to act.
However, I have to admit that I have seen this very often, and can't tell
whether it is effective or not. What I can say is that I have experienced
this flooding of photocopied statements for or against an issue: it has
happened recently for at least one issue under debate in ICANN. Regardless
of whether myself, or the rest of the Board, has been influenced by them, it
seems to me that quite some people think that this could have an effect. And
since the vast majority of those pieces of communication were originated in
the US, I tend to think that it is rather in this socio-cultural environment
that these actions are supposed to have some value. So, after all, since in
this the entity at the receiving end of these messages is, in this case, an
entity that operates in this context, why not?

Anyway, independently from your opinion regarding the particular way of
providing feedback discussed above, I would encourage all of you to comment
in reply to the notice of inquiry at
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/jpamidtermreview.html.


Cheers,
Roberto

 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:owner-ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael Collins
> Sent: Tuesday, 05 February 2008 03:06
> To: 'General Assembly of the DNSO'
> Subject: RE: [ga] Wallpapering the NTIA
> 
> 
> Roberto,
> 
> Yes, there will be other venues for criticism. It is still 
> disappointing that ICANN isn't looking for a "real" measure 
> of support by including dissenting opinions on the ICANN website. 
> 
> Best regards,
> Michael Collins
> Internet Commerce Association
> +1. 202 657 4570
> +1. 407 242 9009 mobile
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:owner-ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Roberto Gaetano
> Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 3:48 PM
> To: 'Danny Younger'; 'General Assembly of the DNSO'
> Subject: RE: [ga] Wallpapering the NTIA
> 
> 
> I'm sure that people who disagree will have plenty of other 
> websites who propose critical statements.
> Cheers,
> Roberto
>