We have a discussion of Public Comments scheduled to occur on Sunday. The intent is that come to an agreement on how to decide on issuing a comment and the process to follow. Currently, when a new Public Comment opens, or we receive a request for input from some group, either the ALAC or the ALT reviews the issue at one of its meeting. If it is an ALT meeting and a recommendation is made, it is conveyed to the ALAC. Typically we either decide not to respond, or ask someone for a more detailed analysis. Sometimes a comment is written at that stage, without really "deciding" to do so. This process is problematic for a number of reasons. The time lost before a meeting or before someone looks at the issue is critical and tends to use most of the available time. This results in little time for review and revision. A new method must be found. The question of when to respond is perhaps easier: - We have something SUBSTANTIVE to say - We feel a token Thank you (we agree) is felt to be important - There are users implications - There are implications related to ICANN's overall organization, effectiveness, finance or credibility.