Bikeshedding [was Re: Open Public Comment Proceedings]
On 2 September 2017 at 09:05, <h.raiche@internode.on.net> wrote:
I've had a look at all three, and am not sure they are of real importance to ALAC
Holly is exactly right. At-Large has a scarcity of volunteer resources -- notably in those who have the time, skills and background necessary to analyze such matters and write cogent, relevant responses. While it is wholly appropriate of staff to ensure that we don't accidentally miss anything, it is also incumbent upon At-Large (and especially its leadership) to show the discipline necessary to ignore that minutiae and concentrate on the larger picture of how ICANN actions impact end-users globally. We have not always succeeded in this discipline. In fact, yesterday a software developer friend of mine introduced me to a term I hadn't heard before, that IMO well describes ALAC's historic tendency to get caught up in the flurry of responding to ICANN's trivia and losing sight of the real bylaw-mandated purpose we are here to serve: bikeshedding <http://communitymgt.wikia.com/wiki/Bikeshedding>. Right now I am involved in a GNSO working group in which domain industry representatives are insisting to pore over every word of the Geneva Convention to determine whether the Red Cross has the right to ask that its names not be in the pool of domains for sale in gTLDs. At least from an end-user standpoint this is absolutely absurd; we don't need this kind of time wastage for At-Large to tell the Board and community of ICANN that enabling commercial (ab)use of Red Cross/Crescent/Diamond/etc domain names is morally repugnant. Many other examples exist in At-Large. It most reliably emerges any time the phrase "public interest" is invoked in our midst. Industry advocates paid to divert stakeholders from the big picture have created an ICANN process designed to distract and waste resources from those of us without the financial incentive or means to keep up. This is bikeshedding by design. Resist. Cheers, Evan
Hello Evan, Thanks for this and for raising a point about what you think we should be focusing our resources upon. May I suggest you kindly provide references to the discussion you refer so that people like myself can also follow-up. I think we should consider a issue triggering approach to help focus our discussion and spur up interest. What I mean by this is that folks participating in certain working group discussion that find something they believe ALAC should weigh in on can flag/raise it and that can form discussion topics during ALAC calls and on the list. I think that approach worked well during the transition. That said, I wonder whether once someone raises an issue of importance, staff can be in a position to provide brief documentation that helps others have some background understanding of the issue in other to better contribute to the discussion. Overall we should not be waiting for PC before ALAC puts in position statements to WG and/or advice to the Board Regards Sent from my mobile Kindly excuse brevity and typos On Sep 2, 2017 5:20 PM, "Evan Leibovitch" <evan@telly.org> wrote:
On 2 September 2017 at 09:05, <h.raiche@internode.on.net> wrote:
I've had a look at all three, and am not sure they are of real importance to ALAC
Holly is exactly right.
At-Large has a scarcity of volunteer resources -- notably in those who have the time, skills and background necessary to analyze such matters and write cogent, relevant responses.
While it is wholly appropriate of staff to ensure that we don't accidentally miss anything, it is also incumbent upon At-Large (and especially its leadership) to show the discipline necessary to ignore that minutiae and concentrate on the larger picture of how ICANN actions impact end-users globally. We have not always succeeded in this discipline.
In fact, yesterday a software developer friend of mine introduced me to a term I hadn't heard before, that IMO well describes ALAC's historic tendency to get caught up in the flurry of responding to ICANN's trivia and losing sight of the real bylaw-mandated purpose we are here to serve: bikeshedding <http://communitymgt.wikia.com/wiki/Bikeshedding>.
Right now I am involved in a GNSO working group in which domain industry representatives are insisting to pore over every word of the Geneva Convention to determine whether the Red Cross has the right to ask that its names not be in the pool of domains for sale in gTLDs. At least from an end-user standpoint this is absolutely absurd; we don't need this kind of time wastage for At-Large to tell the Board and community of ICANN that enabling commercial (ab)use of Red Cross/Crescent/Diamond/etc domain names is morally repugnant.
Many other examples exist in At-Large. It most reliably emerges any time the phrase "public interest" is invoked in our midst.
Industry advocates paid to divert stakeholders from the big picture have created an ICANN process designed to distract and waste resources from those of us without the financial incentive or means to keep up.
This is bikeshedding by design. Resist.
Cheers, Evan
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Hi Seun, On 2 September 2017 at 13:24, Seun Ojedeji <seun.ojedeji@gmail.com> wrote:
Thanks for this and for raising a point about what you think we should be focusing our resources upon. May I suggest you kindly provide references to the discussion you refer so that people like myself can also follow-up.
Well, the mailing list archives for the Red Cross issue can be found here <http://mm.icann.org/pipermail/gnso-igo-ingo/>. Grab a strongly caffeinated beverage before entering. But there others like it. We struggle to find the end-user interest in mechanical issues such as "vertical integration", which matter a great deal to the industry but not a whole lot to non-registrant end-users. Yet we get caught up in them, taking resources away from broader topics such as the ethics of domain speculation and trademark-owner intimidation which *do* impact end users.
That said, I wonder whether once someone raises an issue of importance, staff can be in a position to provide brief documentation that helps others have some background understanding of the issue in other to better contribute to the discussion.
The talent wasted among At-Large-dedicated staff is staggering. People who have deep backgrounds in policy research and analysis find themselves dealing with travel problems and meeting schedules. The At-Large Review underway recommends that *"**ICANN staff are to be more proactively engaged in support of the Community’s policy work"*. This is among the few outcomes of the Review with which I agree. Professional word-smithing and research support cannot be over-valued in this realm.
Overall we should not be waiting for PC before ALAC puts in position statements to WG and/or advice to the Board
A few years ago when I was more deeply involved, At-Large (or people involved with it) would produce topical white papers and high-level documents that provoked thought and were intended to be more proactive and less reactive. Perhaps that tactic ought to be revisited. - Evan
participants (2)
-
Evan Leibovitch -
Seun Ojedeji