Subject: ICANN through Tsar Roberts Emasculates its Supporting Organizations.

From: Gordon Cook <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1998 14:10:54 -0500

Today's ICANN press release says: "We want to clarify and expedite the
process of forming the Supporting Organizations called for in the  bylaws,"
said Michael Roberts, ICANN's Interim President and CEO. "The SO's will be
groups of working professionals who will provide ICANN with technical
policy development recommendations."

PHEW!!!!!

So all power rests in ICANN????
Groups of working professionals?????  IE no one organization let alone an
incorporated organization????

The supporting organizations only function is to SUGGEST policy to the
ICANN board?  Do I get that right??

If i have got it right I would guess the IETF would tell ICANN to take the
protocols organization else where rather than loose its independence.  I'd
guess DNSO would do the same.

But these policy u-turns are indeed bizarre.

I ask ICANN whether it has made yet another unannounced change to its by
laws to make it possible to do this?  and when molly shaffer van howelling
will announce this?  WHEN WILL WE KNOW WHICH BOARD MEMBERS VOTED FOR SUCH A
CHANGE?

I would suggest  that it is time for becky burr and elliot maxwell to call
mike onto the carpet for a little dose of adult supervision that he is so
plainly in need of.

If the IETF tells ICANN to take the protocol SO and get stuffed, anyone
want to bet how long it would take before ICANN invited the ITU to become
the protocol supporting organization? (Note the ITU friendly article 4 in
the ICANN articles.) Anyone reading this disagree that IETF would be
subservient to ICANN if the protocol support org. joined under these
circumstances?

One of ICANN's failings was to be insufficiently bottom up in its
structure.  The latest move of the mighty five is to make it even less
bottom up.  How truly bizarre.

But given the following quotes from three of the original five (or six with
Roger Cochetti for IBM) who created ICANN I submitt we should not be
surprised:

1.  Vint Cerf:

Vint Cerf said in an interview  . . . it's time for the IETF to let
the Internet grow up. "The fact that a constellation is being built to
do what one or two people did is astonishing," said Cerf, senior vice
president of MCI WorldCom. "But then again, when the Internet started,
it wasn't of commercial value. Now it is and it has attracted all
parties, including the lawyers. That means it's valuable and that's
good."

2.  Mike Roberts:

"Oversight of the Internet has become a legalistic business,"
Roberts said. "We have to deal with lawyers and bankers and
unfortunately we have to do it in a way that makes some of you
uncomfortable." Source: Sandra Gittlen Network World, 12/11/98
(Article regarding rough reception of ICANN at IETF.)

3.  Dave Farber

Dave Farber: to the Presidents Information Technology Advisory Commission:
"The DNS Problem . . .. will decide whether "adult" supervision of the
internet is needed. "      SOURCE -  PUBLIC POST OF 11/29/98

SOMEONE SHOULD ASK NTIA AND DOC'S OPINION OF THIS.

=========================================================================
HERE is the fred rackmill press release.

ICANN Calls for Supporting Organization Applications

LOS ANGELES, December 22, 1998 - The Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers has posted guidelines for Supporting Organization
recognition on its web site (www.icann.org) and called for applications to
be submitted by February 5, 1999, for consideration at an open session of
the Board on March 3, 1999, in Singapore.

"We want to clarify and expedite the process of forming the Supporting
Organizations called for in the  bylaws," said Michael Roberts, ICANN's
Interim President and CEO. "The SO's will be groups of working
professionals who will provide ICANN with technical policy development
recommendations."

The bylaws call initially for an Address Supporting Organization, a Domain
Name Supporting Organization and a Protocol Supporting Organization, each
of which will nominate Directors to the Board.

Supporting Organization applications for recognition will be made available
for public viewing and comment at www.icann.org.

CONTACT: Michael Roberts, +1(650)854-2108, [email-masked]
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