[ALSC-Forum] Comments on study: "Why Consensus Matters"

[Bruce Young]

Comments on: "Why Consensus Matters"
<http://www.mids.org/pay/mn/1009/crawford2.html>

"One-person-one-vote rules cannot readily be policed on the internet . . .
We cannot realistically expect everyone with some stake in the internet
domain system to join ICANN and participate actively. Nor is there any good
reason to believe that the tiny percentage of potential stakeholders who do
join and vote will be 'representative' of those who are impacted."

If all directors are elected at large, consensus will indeed be at work.  As
for "stakeholders,"  this implies that only those in industry and government
associated with the Internet deserve a say in how it will be run.  I
disagree.  As I said elsewhere in this forum, their need to protect their
profits is not greater than my need to ensure my children and grandchildren
inherit a free, unfettered Internet!  Everyone who uses or is affected by
the Internet has a stake in how well the Internet is governed, particularly
now when policies and contracts we may all have to live with for some time
are being set up.

This entire document is spent trying to discourage the democratic process
and further the idea of consensus.  But it speaks from a viewpoint that
fosters the views of those involved in the "nuts and bolts" of the Internet
industry, and fails to address who will represent the needs of the At Large
user community (and be held accountable when  they don't!).



Bruce Young
Portland, Oregon
byoung651@home.com
http://members.home.net/byoung651/index.html