Re: [ga] .us Policy Council

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Also, who has decided this policy change? NTIA/DOC or the .us policy council, using due process to discuss and develop policy in consultation with all involved parties?

In short, if NTIA can just intervene at any time and decide policy and impose it on .us, then that suggests that NTIA can just intervene at any time and decide policy and impose it on ICANN, on TLDs, on the worldwide internet community.

The precedent is clearly unacceptable if it has been imposed without due process and consultation.

At the moment WSIS and other interested parties are questioning why ICANN should be accountable (and therefore subordinate to) NTIA/DOC. They argue that all the other countries in the world should have the same powers of oversight or influence as the US.

While it can be argued that .us is an internal US matter, it nevertheless appears to demonstrate that the US through NTIA are prepared to override due process and impose solutions, without the agreed framework for policy formulation and consultation. This is disturbing for the rest of the world.

So, as Danny has asked, where is the evidence that the Policy Council has adhered to a visible, transparent and consultative process for changing policy? Where is the process, or was it just ignored?

Yrs,

Richard Henderson
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Richard Henderson 
  To: General Assembly of the DNSO 
  Cc: Danny Younger 
  Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 10:50 PM
  Subject: Re: [ga] .us Policy Council


  Here in the UK with .uk you have to give a registrant name (either individual or company) but you can request that all contact details are withheld from publication. If you're doing something bad through your website the law can be invoked to obtain the contact information from Nominet (the registry).

  Seems simple enough.

  As someone who has been stalked in the past, and the unnerving impact that has on your own life and your family's, not to mention personal safety, I personally take the view that the NTIA / DOC decision is over the top and intrusive. Nobody needs to know my address, unless I choose to share it with them, or I have done something wrong. But I can understand why a registry may reserve the right to store the info securely if I want the right to a domain name registered through them.

  Thankfully, the stalker issue has been dealt with completely, and I don't have too many worries about sharing my contact info as a rule. However, we should respect other people's right to, or need of, privacy.

  Government should back off.

  Richard H
    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Danny Younger 
    To: mike@xxxxxxxxxx 
    Cc: ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    Sent: Saturday, March 05, 2005 6:20 PM
    Subject: [ga] .us Policy Council


    Mike,

    You are a member of the .us Policy Council.  According to the Neustar website, the last posted minutes of a .usTLD Policy Council Meeting date back to January 9, 2003.  Accordingly, I have the following questions that perhaps you might be inclined to answer...

    1.  Has the .usTLD Policy Council met in the course of the last two years?
    2.  If it has met, why aren't the minutes posted?
    3.  If it hasn't met, why is the Council ignoring its responsibilities?
    4.  What was the position of the Council and/or your position regarding proxy registrations?  When the DOC initiated its review, what commentary did you and other council members provide?  Do you approve of the DOC decision to ban proxy registrations in the .us domain?
    5.  You have now been a .us Policy Council member for three years; the term of office for Council members was established in the Charter as one year.  How is it that you have remained in office this long without a vote being held to elect successor advisors?  
    6.  Can you explain the lack of democratic process and the reasons for a seeming lack of transparency in the .us Policy Council?  
    7.  Do you support the democratic process, or do you intend to squat on the Policy Council indefinately?  
    8.  Do you support full transparency, and if so, what actions will you take to ensure that both the .us Policy Council and the ICANN Board acts to post the minutes of their meetings? 



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