Re: [ALSC-Forum] Re: Bottom up process and group dynamics

[DannyYounger]

Jefsey, 

You are correct in noting the problem of "competition" and how it impacts on 
At-Large organizing activities.  This type of threat from other 
well-organized competitors is one of the reasons that ICANN will never accept 
ITU propositions (no matter how reasonable) as they too are perceived as a 
well-financed government-supported technically-competant potential rival for 
the DNS resources that ICANN controls.

How many folks would willing set a place for their rivals on the Board of the 
organization that they manage?  An At-Large organization that constitutes 50% 
of the Board is certainly a potential threat to incumbent Board members.  

Are any of us so naive as to think that this Board would willing share its 
power (especially when they believe that even a small minority of vocal 
critics can hamstring the effective operation of their organization)?

It's time to accept a dose of reality, and to fight only those battles that 
have a realistic chance of being won.  Tilting after windmills may be a noble 
effort, but it is also a pointless expenditure of effort that could be better 
applied elsewhere.

Sure, the situation stinks... but if any change is going to occur internally 
we have to be prepared to work "with" the Board, rather than "against" the 
Board.  The only other option is to work in the political sphere to force the 
Department of Commerce to re-bid the ICANN contracts, and I don't assess our 
current chances to succeed in that mission as being very strong.

The DoC will certainly accord ICANN the opportunity to sort out its own mess 
as long as they believe that a sincere effort is being made.  ICANN will 
survive this current round of "oversight" and will buy additional time to 
make sufficient improvements to keep the Congress off of its back.

You may dispute this political assessment, but ICANN management is 
well-skilled in playing the "game", and need only point to the "teething 
problems" that any organization in its infancy faces.  They will get the time 
that they need to implement changes.  It is up to us to fight for the types 
of changes that this Board can live with, otherwise we are doing nothing more 
than spinning our wheels.  

Win enough small battles and skirmishes and you may eventually win the war.