Re: [ALSC-Forum] Comments on Study: Must groups oppose individuals - Thoughts about the ICANN at-large membership

[ANTHONY ORDONA]

On Sun, 3 Jun 2001 00:31:03 -0700, Bruce Young wrote:

>  
>  Comments on Study: Must groups oppose individuals - Thoughts about the
ICANN
>  at-large membership
>  <http://www.connected.org/govern/ICANN-Zurich.html>
>  
>  >It would be easy enough to decide that the group should include only
those
>  people who are domain name owners. This idea is currently under
>  >discussion within the Domain Name Support Organisation (DNSO). However,
>  this exclusive definition apparently leaves some dissatisfaction 
>  >is the "at-large" group remains on the cards. One person asked me, "What
>  about those people who are interested and willing to participate in 
>  >the process but who do not own a domain name?" You could of course
define
>  membership in terms of interest. Tacitly, this is what ICANN 
>  >is done. If you show interest by applying to join the at-large
membership
>  and you have access to the Internet because the process is only 
>  >accessible via the Internet, then you can belong and vote. 
>  
>  Yes.  The stakes are too high to limit the @Large community to only those
>  who hold a domain name.  For every one of these, there are thousands of
>  Internet users whose lives and futures will be directly affected by
>  decisions made by this body.  They deserve a voice.
>  
>  >There is no satisfactory global organisation of users of the Internet.
>  
>  That is what we hope the @Large community can become.
>  
>  >Maybe the notion of "Internet user" is no longer a sufficiently strong
>  criterion for people to identify with it. Would you join an electricity
>  users' 
>  >or a water users' organisation?
>  
>  Actually, as a voting citizen and taxpayer in this country, I already
have a
>  great deal to say about how public utilities are managed, and direct
redress
>  through city council meetings, public utility council meetings, etc., if
I
>  disagree with that management.  As is implied in this statement, in the
>  future continuous, reliable access to the Internet is going to be just as
>  critical to the safety and happiness of our lives as the other public
>  utilities mentioned.  Internet users need a voice in how the Internet is
>  managed.  The @Large community is our best shot at one.
>  
>  >Is there not a fundamental contradiction in wishing to "organise" people
>  who seek to act in their own name as individuals, as free valences? 
>  
>  I disagree.  Every citizen in this country has their own list of issues!
>  But we join interest groups.  We form coalitions.  We join together to
>  protest.  We talk to journalists.  We write, call and e-mail our elected
>  officials.  We attend government meetings and complain.  We vote for
things
>  we approve of, and against things we don't.  Eventually, out of all these
>  disparate voices expressing their views, convincing others of the
rightness
>  of their concern, and exercising their right to vote, comes policies,
laws
>  and sometimes great changes to society.  This process is called
consensus.
>  It is the core of democracy.  And it should be the at the core of how
ICANN
>  works as well.  That is the role I envision @Large playing.
>  
>  
>  Bruce Young
>  Portland, Oregon
>  byoung651@home.com
>  http://members.home.net/byoung651/index.html
>  
>  
>  << File Attachment Removed: "application/ms-tnef;
>  	name="winmail.dat"" >>
-------------------------------------------------
As a new person to this forum I have read most of the comments posted on
this forum with interest.  Mr.Young's comments hit straight to the issues
that I feel are important.  Unless ICANN includes everybody who has a stake
in the internet be they supporting organizations or users,it will not be a
body that is representative of the internet community.  It is important that
ICANN understand that fact and come up with a structure that will
incorporate everybody that has a interest in the internet.





_______________________________________________________
Send a cool gift with your E-Card
http://www.bluemountain.com/giftcenter/