Re: [ga] BBC article

["Joe Baptista" <baptista@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 6:32 PM, <chris@xxxxxx> wrote:

>  *I like this part;*
>
> The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann), which acts
> as a sort of regulator for the net as well as overseeing the domain name
> system, has been working towards opening up net addresses for the last three
> years.
>

This is so much bullshit.  What happened three years ago is Joe Baptista
went to the Netherlands and terminated an ICANN experiment hereinafter known
as HEX.  The experiment involving such entities as INAIC and the Unifiedroot
et al.  Now I terminated the experiment in August of 2005.  ICANN had been
monitoring their activities for some time.  The experiment proved very
successful.  It showed anyone can run a root or a tld and furthermore made
it very clear that the market demand for TLDs was there and would be met
with or without ICANNs participation.

As a result there are now thousands of independent TLDs and many countries
participating in providing TLD services.  Those people who know ICANN is
nothing more then a smoke screen also known they have no control over the
root.

Turkey is the first country that signed up to my little experiment in the
Netherlands.  That rocked ICANNs boat big time.  There are now hundreds if
not thousands of new TLDs in Turkey.

When ICANN started up it tried to convince the world it was a monopoly.  The
world has poopood that as utter nonsense.

>  *What sort of regulator?*
>
Well if you avert you eyes from the wizard of oz and look behind the curtain
you'll see a very tired old man called control.


> **
>
> The move could yet be blocked as the independent arbitration panel can
> reject domains based on "morality or public order" grounds.
>
Irrelevant - those domain will go elsewhere.


>  *How will the independent arbitrators be chosen?*
>
In the usual very independent ICANN way.

> **
>
> While companies will be able to secure domain names based on their
> intellectual property easily, some domain names could become subject to
> contention and a bidding war. Dr Twomey said: "If there is a dispute, we
> will try and get the parties together to work it out. But if that fails
> there will be an auction and the domain will go to the highest bidder."
>
memories of RFC 1591. Unfortunately domains already exist.  Are they going
to create collisions again.  Memories of .BIZ.  But this time there are
thousands of .BIZ situations and the Europeans involved have deep pockets.


> *What happened to first-come first-served? Does this mean that current tld
> holders in other roots will have to bid on their own tlds they created long
> before this, in anticipation of this very thing happening? Is ICANN lining
> things up to repeat the dot biz fiasco where any company with a lot of money
> can just steal already owned TLDs?*
>
BINGO.

Now on the positive side of things the one critic I have of the article is
that I'm surprised no one saw this coming.  I know ICANN is in for a
swinging good time.  Lets not forget that the ICANN visionary of record -
Vint Cerf - was only recently handed his hat and shown out the door with all
the pomp and circumstance he had every right too.  But the truth is the
appointment of the new Chair, Peter Dengate Thrush, means there has been a
change of the guard at ICANN

Thrush is a former Boston Working Group man.  He has the right ideas.  But
he has to put up with the other board simpletons - so he may yet end up with
his head on the ceremonial chopping block.  We will see.

cheers
joe baptista

P.S. Some of those TLDs in Europe are protected by European law - others by
National laws governing bona.  Will they offend the Europeans and end up in
a Belgium or Dutch court.  Maybe - they are also based in Europe.  Will they
be hounded by the Europeans like Microsoft was.  If they screw up they
will.  Will ICANN ever duplicate the Chinese National TLDs.  Probably not.
Will they duplicate the little guy?  Interesting question.  I'm sure they
are asking it right now.

One thing I promise you - the .com money machine is getting cranky and
building a large consensus to oppose ICANN doing the right thing.
Interesting times are ahead in 16 to 23 months.

**
>
> *Chris McElroy*
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Richard Henderson <richardhenderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> *To:* ga@xxxxxxxxx
> *Sent:* Tuesday, June 24, 2008 5:50 PM
> *Subject:* [ga] BBC article
>
> Would anyone like to evaluate this news article form the BBC in UK?
>
> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7468855.stm
>
> Basically, has the reporter summarised an accurate picture of what ICANN is
> committing to bring into effect?
>
> best wishes,
>
> Richard Henderson
>
>


-- 
Joe Baptista
www.publicroot.org
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