[ga] Comment Submitted on .biz, .info, and .org contracts

[Danny Younger <dannyyounger@xxxxxxxxx>]

We are engaged in the process of determining the best
possible relationship between gTLD registry operators
and the ICANN organization.  To guide us in this quest
it is appropriate to consider other highly successful
models in order to take advantage of that which works
exceedingly well.  

As we examine the gTLD namespace we note that there
are several highly successful gTLD registries that
offer tremendous value to their respective communities
-- these namespaces provide for highly credible and
authoritative content, engender trust and respect, and
their registry sponsoring organizations have enjoyed a
stellar relationship with ICANN, free from
controversy, dispute or rancor.

The registry operators of .biz, .info and .org deserve
to have the same contract with ICANN that is provided
to these other gTLD sponsoring organizations.  It is
in the best interest of the worldwide Internet
community that we act to work on the basis of
consistency, predictability and equitability.

Accordingly, the exact same contract that cements the
bond between ICANN and the gTLD operators of .edu,
.gov, .int and .mil should be offered to the
organizations sponsoring .biz, .info and .org.

At the behest of the U.S. Department of Commerce,
ICANN has for serveral years diligently pursued a
course of action that seeks to attain formal legal
agreements with various Internet stakeholders such as
our ccTLD operators and root-server operators.

I share the view put forward by the Internet Society
that the pursuit of such agreements is a mistake.  In
her comments to the NTIA, Lynn St. Amour, President
and CEO of the Internet Society has stated:  "The
current distributed and redundant root server model as
operated by a dozen independent organizations has
clearly been very successful.  ISOC believes this
model provides maximum stability and security and we
see no benefit to centralizing management of the root
name server operators." 

In similar fashion I can see no particular benefit in
centralizing management of the operations of .biz,
.info or .org or other gTLDs through contract
mechanisms.  Each registry sponsoring organization is
a body that I trust and, like the other gTLDs that
have no contract with ICANN, can equally be counted
upon the serve the broader Internet community in a
responsible fashion that honors the best of our
Internet traditions (RFC 1591) -- each has the ability
to do a equitable, just, honest, and competent job and
requires no contract to further define their
obligations.

A respected coordinator of the Internet's domain name
system would not require a series of contracts.  Only
heavy-handed managers require contracts, and no one
has expressed the desire for a heavy-handed ICANN. 
The community will accept a Coordinator... anything
beyond that is a load that we will not willingly bear.



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