RE: [ga] Increased foreign attendance

["Debbie Garside" <debbie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Danny

Thanks for the outline.  I can, somewhat, understand your frustration.
However as an observer I can perhaps see why, I have been subscribed to this
list since December 2006 and from what I can see the majority of posts are
highly critical of ICANN and not in any way constructive; it is the
constructive aspect that is missing.    Please don't misunderstand me, I do
not mean that you should not disagree but rather there are ways of
disagreeing with ICANN and putting forward positive points for change.  If
you only criticise you cannot be expected to be taken seriously. If you put
forward ideas and they are constructive and can reasonably be implemented
they stand a better chance of being adopted.  If you put forward good ideas
that stand no chance of being implemented they cannot reasonably be adopted.
OK, so I am a little naïve, but I have worked committees and forums for a
number of years with some success.

For instance, if you disagree with ICANN's inclusion initiative perhaps you
could say why.  This forum could be much more constructive and feed into the
process. I am afraid that moaning about someone else getting travel
assistance will not improve your case.  Other comments in line below:

 
> With regard to your other observations, ICANN can certainly 
> be faulted for not providing a plenary agenda well in advance 
> of its sessions.  No reasonable person that is not funded by 
> other self-interested parties can plan to attend a conference 
> without even the benefit of a schedule of activities to 
> justify the expense of travel, lodging, and time away from 
> family or work.

I think pretty much everyone knows 90% of what is going to be on ICANN's
agenda each time.  However, I would agree that a generous lead time is
always preferable though not always possible. As an example, I recently
called a meeting of international experts with just 14 days notice. This is
obviously not good, but you have to understand what goes on behind the
scenes to organise such things.  Then you can perhaps see how impossible it
sometimes is to organise sooner.  Venues, timings, other peoples schedules
of meetings to tie in for main participants.  It can be a logistical
nightmare and I only have 25 members in 10 different countries!  
 
> Many of us on this list have little interest in ICANN's 
> inclusion initiatives as long as ICANN continues to pursue 
> exclusionary policies.  

Well, a little bit of advice, take interest and then you may become the
included.  Or at the very least, stop bashing ICANN at every opportunity.  

> These exclusionary policies have seen the removal of all 
> at-large directors from ICANN's board, the formal dissolution 
> of the General Assembly as a representative structure and no 
> role for the broader at-large community of unaffiliated individuals. 

I don't know that much about ICANN and the way they run things but looking
at this purely from a business perspective, ICANN are trying to run a
business/service.  Trying to do that with a board of Directors all with
different agendas is almost impossible and can totally freeze an
organization.  You have to build a board of people who have the same or
similar goals to get things done. It is not about exclusion, it is about
moving forward. 


> ICANN's exclusionary policies have twice seen the Board 
> disregard a petition for an individuals constituency.

I don't understand this?

> Just because ICANN now has a swelling budget (the result of 
> Board-imposed domain name price increases that the registrant 
> community has to pay for) does not mean that we approve of 
> ICANN spending our monies to gather up a circle of "friends" 
> while those critical of ICANN behaviors continue to be left 
> out in the cold.

So what is this forum all about?  What is it that you don't like about ICANN
policies or procedures and how would you propose that they change?  Does
this forum have a Charter?

Kind regards

Debbie Garside
> 
> best wishes,
> Danny
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --- Debbie Garside <debbie@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> > Hi
> > 
> > Just a couple of small observations not directed at anyone 
> but rather 
> > for the thread as a whole.  Technically government ministries 
> > (supposedly) represent the people who elected them.
> > 
> > On a further note, many of us (probably most in this
> > forum) have an option
> > as to whether we spend our money going to ICANN meetings.  
> Questions 
> > like:
> > is it worth the expense or is it not?  Do I want to spend 
> my money on 
> > this or shall I have an extra holiday with my family? Can I 
> afford the 
> > time?
> > Etc.  Come into play.  For some the prospect of going to an ICANN 
> > meeting means spending 4 years (+) income!  Not really an option is 
> > it!
> > http://www.cbuhaiti.org/about_haiti.htm   
> > 
> > I, for one, applaud the initiative.  I wish there were more 
> such. If 
> > there were no such initiative, no doubt, members of this 
> forum would 
> > be beating ICANN around the head with a big stick demanding it!
> >  Perhaps we could
> > change the essence of this thread to how ICANN can improve their 
> > "Inclusion Initiatives" as opposed to griping about 
> participants being 
> > "paid" to attend.
> > 
> > Regards
> > 
> > Debbie Garside
> > 
> >  
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > [mailto:owner-ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
> > > sotiris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Sent: 27 June 2007 22:08
> > > To: ga@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Subject: Re: [ga] Increased foreign attendance
> > > 
> > > Oh yeah... real PUBLIC participation... employess
> > of
> > > government ministries and telcos...  Seems more
> > like a stooge
> > > version of the GAC and Business Constituency, but
> > without the
> > > suit jackets and ties...
> > > 
> > > Is anyone really surprised by this?
> > > 
> > > Yup!  These people will definitely make a
> > difference in ICANN
> > > which will work to the benefit of the PUBLIC...
> > LMAO!
> > > 
> > > SS
> > > 
> > > 
> > > >> This is a perfect example of how numbers get
> > skewed.
> > > >> The amazing part is that they are blowing their
> > trumpets over it,
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >
> >
> <http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-26jun07.htm>
> > > >> They pay these peoples to attend. To bad I no
> > longer
> > > >> live in a distant exotic land.
> > > >>   I cannot believe that they did not see this article as a bad 
> > > >> idea.
> > > >>
> > > >>   Eric
> > > >>
> > > >>
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> 
> 
> 
>  
> ______________________________________________________________
> ______________________
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>