Hi everyone. I am sharing some additional questions that I have asked Alan on this topic and his responses for the benefit of the ALAC's further understanding: 1. What is the impact on the Drafting Team (DT) if the recommendation that you suggested is forwarded with a "notation" that the ALAC's preference is that the IOC and the RC be de-linked? Would this notation have any effect/make a difference? *AG: I think there will be no difference. The issue was raised a number of times in the DT, but there was little interest among the other members in pursuing it. So it died.* 2. What is the implication of "dissenting voices" from the NCUC or NCSG on the process of providing protection to the organizations prior to a PDP? Would this halt the process? What would halt the process? *AG: That's hard to tell. In the DT, it will be noted but not likely have much impact. Although we will not know until the results of the consensus call are in, my sense is that most of the DT and their constituents support the compromise proposal. When it comes to a vote in Council, it is a bit less clear. To be approved a majority of each house is required. Although that sounds reasonable, it means that in reality, if all of one house supports a motion, it will take over 75% of the overall council to achieve this. So if the Registrars and Registries support the proposal, and the NCSG votes as a block against approval, all of the CSG and the NomCom Appointee must support it for it to pass. One of those abstaining or voting no (or not voting) would kill it.* 3. How long exactly would the PDP take and when would it start? The length of time is a factor in terms of cost accruing to the RC if protection is not granted at this time, yes? *AG: About the shortest possible PDP with virtually no substantive debate would take about 9 months. Longer including the creation of its charter. This is not a simple issue. So I would guess in the order of 2 years. Perhaps longer. Certainly way past the time when the first gTLDs are deployed. Since names will be registered long before they go into the Root, and that rate could be as high as 500 per year, it is possible that the majority of new gTLDs are approved prior to the completion and implementation of the PDP. **I don't pretend to know what strategy the RC will follow if the names are not reserved, but my guess is that they will reserve them during sunrise in any TLD where it makes even a bit of sense. So the costs could be substantial. And it they don't defensively register the names there will be defense costs. .XXX which is the only non-private TLD to be deployed recently had a process by which an entity could block the name instead of registering it, but that was not a cheap process either. * END