[ga] significant user representation

[Joop Teernstra <terastra@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 06:00 a.m. 3/09/2006, Gomes, Chuck wrote:

> Chris,
>
> As I tried to communicate on a previous post on this list, I have always 
> supported a means of user representation but have never seen a solution 
> that has really represented a significant sample of users.  I also 
> recognize though that the same is true of some of the GNSO constituencies, 
> so it is a problem that still needs a solution.  Simply creating a 
> solution that gives a new group a voice that is captured by a few 
> activists seems to simply repeat what already seeing.  That is why I 
> stated before that I believe that giving users more meaningful choices of 
> TLDs has the potential of giving users, at least registrants, a voice 
> through their buying choices.  I am not opposed to other approaches as 
> well, but I believe that they need to be representative of the broader 
> community of users and not just a small group.


Chuck,

The main reason why only "activists" remained was the continued refusal by 
ICANN to recognize the right of  At Large (or Individual Domain Name 
Owner)  representation to become a meaningful part of the decisionmaking 
process.
The original 143.806 individuals (the original ICANN At Large "members") 
interested to vote for their own ICANN director, especially in North 
America and Europe were a large enough group of registrants to form a 
hard-to-capture and representative sample.

It takes a lot of stubborn staying power to keep on spending time and money 
in the face of
rejection and hostility, not to mention character assassination and active 
sabotage, and only the kind of people that are generally labeled as 
"activists" can bring this up.
The rest is eroded away.

For their  commitment to the cause of the registering public alone, these 
"activists", would likely be elected as representatives, if domain name 
Registrants had the incentive and the procedures to do so.

Democratic policy making  does not work by taking "significant 
samples".  It is driven by small numbers of people who care and majorities 
who agree with them.

--Joop--

www.icannatlarge.com