Re: [ALSC-Forum] RE: Sims/EU development -- CALL TO ACTION/PLEDGE

[Esther Dyson]

The suggestion is not for faith-credit to the ALSC, but to the AL 
Membership itself. You/we/all of us need to go ahead and create it, and 
that will require some faith, because it does not yet exist.  (That is the 
essence of any start-up.  many of them begin without a single document, and 
get more official later.

*However,* start-ups are generally not bottom- up, though they come from 
the bottom.  THey have a leader or two, who rallies others round.  The 
culture ma be more or less participative, but there are usually a few 
people who do what Pindar is doing now: They say, "Follow me!" and people 
have enough trust to follow them.

This has been the problem  (well, *one* of the problems!) with ICANN. (and 
I say this after some long experience....) Bottom-up should not mean 
leaderless; it should mean that there are many potential leaders (or as 
many as want to be, and none pre-anointed) and the person/group with the 
most persuasive proposition gets support and moves forward. If it loses 
that support, other leaders can emerge.

So, I think it's time for the ALSC to stop looking for an illusory 
consensus to present to the board, and to move forward more aggressively to 
create some leadership - and some credible signs that an ALM will emerge - 
and present not a fait accompli on the one hand nor a plan on the other, 
but a genuine work in progress.

It's time for the ALM to start organizing itself rather than to argue about 
how to organize.   As Karl points out in another message, all ICANN needs 
to provide is some scaffolding and some formal commitment to listening to 
the ALM and allowing it to seat directors with votes.  The structure/soul 
of the ALM should be up to its members (as should the funding for most of 
its activities).

In that spirit, I want to follow/work with/join/strengthen Pindar's 
initiative.  And given that I have enough money (believe me, I have better 
ways to get rich than associating with ICANN!), I pledge $10,000 to the 
operations of the ALM once it is formed.  The formation will require 
minimum funds and a lot of volunteer work (which I am also giving), but the 
operations will require paid work.

Esther




At 09:10 PM 2/19/2002, Kiyoshi Tsuru wrote:
>Dear Esther:
>
>You've pointed out very clearly the problem: "perceived or actual lack of
>legitimacy". Whether it is perceived or real is not that relevant when it
>comes to the fate of ICANN, because the result would be the same in the long
>run (you also pointed that out): Death (and probably chaos). None of us
>wants that. We want a solid, robust, healthy organization.
>
>I do not know whether the Internet community around the World is willing to
>take a request for faith-credit. In my humble opinion, the members of this
>community would have more confidence in a proposal (even if it involved a
>lot of work from volunteers, representatives and local communities), that
>would seem likely to materialize in the short term.
>
>But if the ALSC proposal is discarded ab initio, the message that is being
>sent out does not create a scenario of credibility. After all, ICANN was
>created based on the Bottom-up representation philosophy.
>
>Lack of confidence only serves to support those factions that seek
>fragmentation of the DNS. And we know that such a result is not
>technologically possible, nor desirable.
>
>Is it possible to narrow down the list of elements that are necessary in
>order to create the ALSO and to have a satisfactory election, and then to
>discuss with the Board how to achieve them? (how many resources need to be
>particularly destined to this end and how they will be obtained,  what are
>the parameters to be applied in order for an authentication system to be
>deemed reasonably effective, pros and cons regarding the requirement to be a
>domain name holder/contact, etc).
>
>Whatever our personal view is, we need to contribute to the strenghtening of
>ICANN, for the sake of stability and growth. How can  we attain this?
>
>Take care,
>
>Kiyoshi Tsuru
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Esther Dyson" <edyson@edventure.com>
>To: "Judith Oppenheimer" <joppenheimer@icbtollfree.com>
>Cc: <forum@atlargestudy.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 7:16 PM
>Subject: [ALSC-Forum] RE: Sims/EU development
>
>
> >
> > Judith,
> >
> > I am not jumping to conclusions yet. I don't know what Joe has or has not
> > said or done, nor do I know how other people (including the board) will
> > react to whatever proposal he may have floated.
> >
> > As a member of the ALSC, I'm committed to trying to pull together an
> > At-Large so that ICANN can become a better organization over time rather
> > than die because of perceived or actual lack of legitimacy. Indeed if
> > people do not believe in it, it will wither up and die, but people need to
> > give it a little faith-credit right now.
> >
> >  From my perspective, I will treat this whole episode as a plot to
>persuade
> > people that they have to get a little more cohesive and pledge to support
> > an At-Large Membership even if they dislike some details, or they may
> > entirely miss the chance to improve ICANN into what they want it to
> > be.  [this is a joke, folks, but not entirely]
> >
> > As Hilaire Belloc said:
> > "Hold tightly to the hand of Nurse
> > For fear of finding something worse!"
> >
> > Esther
> >
> > At 06:52 PM 2/19/2002, Judith Oppenheimer wrote:
> > >Then how do you feel about commiting your valuable time and energy to the
> > >At Large, only to find that Sims has already written it out of ICANN's
> > >plans?
> > >
> > >As a member of the ALSC, were you advised of Sims' presentation?   If
>not,
> > >can you explain any justification for committee members being duped into
> > >misrepresenting plans for At Large to the public?
> > >
> > >Judith
> > >
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >----------
> > >Judith Oppenheimer
> > >http://JudithOppenheimer.com
> > >http://ICBTollFreeNews.com
> > >212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert
> >
> >---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >----------
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Esther Dyson [mailto:edyson@edventure.com]
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, February 19, 2002 6:23 PM
> > > > To: Judith Oppenheimer
> > > > Subject: Re: Sims/EU development
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > sorry, I don't know.  (QUick, but not useful....!)
> > > >
> > > > Esther
> > > >
> > > > At 10:28 AM 2/19/2002, Judith Oppenheimer wrote:
> > > > >Esther,
> > > > >
> > > > >An EU source reports that Joe Sims was in Brussels today for
> > > > a closed door
> > > > >meeting with Christopher Wilkinson and some other European Commission
> > > > >members.
> > > > >
> > > > >Sims presented plans for a complete restructuring of the
> > > > ICANN board, sans
> > > > >At Large, with government representatives on the board, and
> > > > new models of
> > > > >ASO, PSO and partial DNSO.
> > > > >
> > > > >I understand Sims will present this (report back?) to the board this
> > > > >weekend.
> > > > >
> > > > >Is Sims working independently, or in collaboration with you
> > > > and/or ICANN
> > > > >staff?  What else can you tell me about this development?
> > > > I'd appreciate
> > > > >your response ASAP, thanks.
> > > > >
> > > > >Regards,
> > > > >
> > > > >Judith
> > > > >
> > > > >-------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > --------------
> > > > >----------
> > > > >Judith Oppenheimer
> > > > >http://JudithOppenheimer.com
> > > > >http://ICBTollFreeNews.com
> > > > >212 684-7210, 1 800 The Expert
> > > > >-------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > --------------
> > > > >----------
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > BACK TO THE FRONTIER - this year's PC FORUM with
> > > > Craig Barrett, Rick Belluzzo, Eric Schmidt... and you!
> > > > www.pcforum2002.com/pcforum/speakers.cfm
> > > > March 24 to 26
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Esther Dyson                  Always make new mistakes!
> > > > chairman, EDventure Holdings
> > > > writer, Release 3.0 (on Website below)
> > > > edyson@edventure.com
> > > > 1 (212) 924-8800    --   fax  1 (212) 924-0240
> > > > 104 Fifth Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets; 20th floor)
> > > > New York, NY 10011 USA
> > > > http://www.edventure.com
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> >
> > BACK TO THE FRONTIER - this year's PC FORUM with
> > Craig Barrett, Rick Belluzzo, Eric Schmidt... and you!
> > www.pcforum2002.com/pcforum/speakers.cfm
> > March 24 to 26
> >
> >
> > Esther Dyson Always make new mistakes!
> > chairman, EDventure Holdings
> > writer, Release 3.0 (on Website below)
> > edyson@edventure.com
> > 1 (212) 924-8800    --   fax  1 (212) 924-0240
> > 104 Fifth Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets; 20th floor)
> > New York, NY 10011 USA
> > http://www.edventure.com
> >
> >
> >


BACK TO THE FRONTIER - this year's PC FORUM with
Craig Barrett, Rick Belluzzo, Eric Schmidt... and you!
www.pcforum2002.com/pcforum/speakers.cfm
March 24 to 26


Esther Dyson			Always make new mistakes!
chairman, EDventure Holdings
writer, Release 3.0 (on Website below)
edyson@edventure.com
1 (212) 924-8800    --   fax  1 (212) 924-0240
104 Fifth Avenue (between 15th and 16th Streets; 20th floor)
New York, NY 10011 USA
http://www.edventure.com