[ga] Transparency & Timeliness

[Danny Younger <dannyyounger@xxxxxxxxx>]

Veni,

ICANN's most recent announcement regarding registry
services begins with the phrase, "As part of ICANN's
effort to support a timely, open and transparent
process for the evaluation of new registry services".

Like many in the community I favor transparency with
regard to registry matters (especially transparency
that is timely).  I would like to discuss the issue of
timeliness.

Yesterday we became aware of a PIR proposal to
introduce a 5-cent restocking fee to combat domain
tasting.  This proposal appeared in a 15 May 2006
letter to Tina Dam that never appeared in the
Correspondence portion of the ICANN website (hardly
what you would call transparent or timely since we are
only hearing of this proposed initiative four months
after it was detailed to ICANN Staff) -- the proposal
may be viewed at
http://listserv.syr.edu/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0609&L=ncuc-discuss&T=0&F=&S=&P=2314

Further, please take a moment to review once more the
language in appendix W of the current May 2001 .com
contract -- the last sentance pertaining to Research,
Development and Infrastructure Improvements states:  
"Registry Operator shall provide ICANN with an annual
report on this research and development activity".

If ICANN truly has an abiding belief in transparency
it would have made these VeriSign annual reports on
infrastructure improvements public (and in a timely
fashion) -- the last five consecutive annual reports
have been hidden from the public eye.

One has to wonder if ICANN is really committed to
transparency and timeliness, or if it only offers
lip-service to the concept.

I would appreciate hearing your personal views on the
topic.

best regards,
Danny



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