- At-Large - lists.icann.org

African Region finishes its MoU
by Nick Ashton-Hart Feb. 28, 2007

Feb. 28, 2007

For those who don't already know this, the African ALS Community finished their MoU with ICANN and it went off to the Office of the General Counsel late last week. The European ALS community will also be meeting in Lisbon and are committed to finishing work on their MoU and Bylaws there - making three (!) new RALOs at one ICANN Meeting. Congratulations on all the hard work :) February has turned out to be a good month for the At-Large community :) -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director, At-Large ICANN PO Box 32160 London N4 2XY United Kingdom Main Tel: +44 (20) 8800-1011] USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460 Fax: +44 (20) 7681-3135 mobile: +44 (7774) 932798 email: nick.ashton-hart(a)icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart(a)hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart(a)mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart

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AP-RALO completed MoU and OP
by Izumi AIZU Feb. 28, 2007

Feb. 28, 2007

Dear all, I would like to take this opportunity to report that AP RALO formation meeting here in Bali during APRICOt took place today, and I am pleased to share that we have completed most of the tasks for the formation, we reached the consensus on Draft MoU with ICANN, and also on Operating Principles. 12 ALS representative out of 13 gathered here and we put our initiating signatures to the documents, to be submitted to the ICANN Board. We could not complete the selection of new ALAC members and officers, but agreed with the selection schedule, including the nomination starting shortly, for a week, etc. The official announcment should come any time soon together with the minutes of our meeting. As one of "interim" members of ALAC together with Ms. Hong Xue from AP region, I personally feel greatful to all the support and active involvement of all ALS members here in our region, as well as staff support, and also all the friendly advices and suport from larger ALAC friends in other regions and othe ICANN community memebrs. Nom-com designated Siavash did the great job of charing the session of the entire day. Special thanks to Siavash! Well, the real tasks will be still there, and not easy, but I hope we will eventually make rational and meaningful steps to bring the voices of individual users in this region to the ICANN policy process. izumi

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Bottom-up organization has bottomed out
by Wendy Seltzer Feb. 28, 2007

Feb. 28, 2007

Friends on all the lists this reaches, here's a message I shared with the ICANN Board reflecting my personal concerns about the possibility of another "ICANN reform process" calling for yet another round of public-input-to-be-ignored: >Hi, > >I'm aware that the Board is discussing the LSE report on GNSO reform, >and hearing concern that reforms to increase Internet-user involvement >should be driven bottom-up, rather than top-down. In that context, I >wanted to share my personal views from longstanding involvement with >ICANN and its at-large. > >The problem with bottom-up development at this point is that it's >bottomed out. Nearly everyone who's ever tried to get involved as an >individual with ICANN has been turned away in frustration after spending >thoughtful time and effort. Having had their suggestions rejected in >previous reform processes, why should they spend any more time with a >new one? This does not mean there are no individual concerns with ICANN >issues, only that the opportunity cost of raising those concerns has >gotten too high. > >So now, almost the only people willing to be involved with ALAC are >those who see it as a means to non-ICANN ends, such as greater respect >for their local groups or activities. (Some of these are people of good >will, and some of their ends are valuable, they're just not ICANN's >issues and shouldn't be.) > >ICANN needs a way to incorporate the feedback of its "customers," since >there's no market competition restraining it. > >I hope you'll take this in the productive spirit in which it's intended, >and I look forward to further discussion. >Thanks, >--Wendy -- Wendy Seltzer -- wendy(a)seltzer.org Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/seltzer.html http://www.chillingeffects.org/

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Re: [At-Large] Asamblea General / General Assembly
by Carlton A Samuels Feb. 26, 2007

Feb. 26, 2007

Dear ALL: For those of you who shall be attending ICANN Puerto Rico, please be reminded that since Puerto Rico is United States Territory, there may be visa requirements. The requirements are generally defined by each of your country's bilateral agreement with the United States of America and local operating conditions. For further information, you are urged to visit the official United States Department of State website where you can get all the information you need. http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/ . Or failing this, call your local U.S. Consulate for the specific information. Kind regards, Carlton [Spanish Version] Querido todos: Para los de usted que atendera a ICANN Puerto Rico, recuerdese por favor que puesto que Puerto Rico es territorio de Estados Unidos, puede haber requisitos de la visa. Los requisitos son definidos generalmente por cada uno del acuerdo bilateral de su pais con los Estados Unidos de America y las condiciones de funcionamiento locales. Para la informacion adicional, le impulsan visitar el departamento oficial de Estados Unidos del Web site del estado en donde pueden conseguir toda la informacion que usted necesita. http://www.unitedstatesvisas.gov/. O fallando esto, llame su consulado local de ESTADOS UNIDOS para la informacion especifica. Respeto bueno, Carlton

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Completed African RALO MoU
by Nick Ashton-Hart Feb. 25, 2007

Feb. 25, 2007

Dear Dan: I'm very pleased to inform you that the African ALS community has concluded their discussions on the contents of their MoU with ICANN and to provide you with the document for your final review. This version is largely the same as the one you looked at last December. I have also attached the public consultation notice. It is my hope that you will be able to complete your review directly, as this will allow the public comment period to be completed prior to the Lisbon ICANN meeting in March, so that the MoU may be signed, and approved by the Board at the public meeting on the 30th. I shall look forward to your reply in due course and forward it to the community. You may also hit reply all, and your email should go through to the mailing lists without any problem. -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director, At-Large ICANN PO Box 32160 London N4 2XY United Kingdom Main Tel: +44 (20) 8800-1011] USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460 Fax: +44 (20) 7681-3135 mobile: +44 (7774) 932798 email: nick.ashton-hart(a)icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart(a)hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart(a)mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart

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Asia Pacific At-Large community meeting Feb 28th
by Nick Ashton-Hart Feb. 25, 2007

Feb. 25, 2007

Dear All: The Asia Pacific At-Large community is engaging in their final-stage negotiations on the contents of their MoU with ICANN on February 28th, in a meeting that is part of the APRICOT 2007 Conference in Bali, Indonesia. The meeting documents are all available online via the www.apralo.org website. I look forward to meeting the regional representatives in a couple of days! Baher Esmat and Save Vocea from the Global Partnerships team will be at the meeting too, alongside other events they are a part of at APRICOT. -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director, At-Large ICANN PO Box 32160 London N4 2XY United Kingdom Main Tel: +44 (20) 8800-1011] USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460 Fax: +44 (20) 7681-3135 mobile: +44 (7774) 932798 email: nick.ashton-hart(a)icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart(a)hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart(a)mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart

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Customer protection
by Vittorio Bertola Feb. 21, 2007

Feb. 21, 2007

All, you might have noticed some pieces of news out there on the story of Registerfly, a registrar which is apparently failing to pay its registry dues and thus to renew their registrants' domains, and all other sorts of bad behaviour (see www.registerflies.com) A month ago or so, I had already forwarded to the Board list a message from the GA list, about other problems with a reseller (including the typical one "my reseller listed themselves, rather than me, as the registrant"). As you might know, often ICANN says that this falls outside of its mandate, and into the mandate of local consumer protection regulations. At the same time, I think that there are many things that ICANN could do, from education (e.g. better information to point out registrants to appropriate authorities) to consensus building (for example working to develop best industry practices for registrars and resellers for what pertains to how to deal with their customers) and to actual regulation (for example adding to the registrar accreditation agreements clauses that require registrars and their resellers to follow such best practices). I would like to use these cases to push the Board to set up a specific working group with the task of finding out some actions that ICANN could do to get to better consumer protection. Thus, I would like to know whether this is a request that we all share, so that I can put it forward. Thanks, -- vb. Vittorio Bertola - vb [a] bertola.eu <-------- --------> finally with a new website at http://bertola.eu/ <--------

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PIR is searching for people
by Franck Martin Feb. 21, 2007

Feb. 21, 2007

http://www.pir.org/News/News.aspx I'm not sure if you are aware but the PIR is looking for people to fill up its advisory council and is looking for a new CEO. If you want to put in practise what we talk in ALAC... -- -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Franck Martin franck.martin(a)gmail.com "Toute connaissance est une réponse à une question" G. Bachelard

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AP on Domain Tasting: Entrepreneurs profit from free Web names
by Wendy Seltzer Feb. 20, 2007

Feb. 20, 2007

Here's a brief AP piece on domain tasting that points to some of the others (IP interests and antispam, both bothered by the quick turnover of no-cost names) who'd be allies in shutting down add-grace. <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-02-19-web-address-sampling_x.htm> By Anick Jesdanun, The Associated Press NEW YORK It's not often you can compare Internet addresses with clothing, but a growing practice comes close, contributing to a global shortage in good names. Entrepreneurs have been taking advantage of a five-day grace period to sample millions of domain names, keeping the relative few that might generate advertising revenues and dropping the rest before paying. It's akin to buying new clothes on a charge card only to return them for a full refund after wearing them to a big party. The grace period was originally designed to rectify legitimate mistakes, such as registrants mistyping the domain name they are about to buy. But with computer automation and a burgeoning online advertising market, entrepreneurs have turned the return policy into a loophole for generating big bucks. Experts believe spammers and scam artists are also starting to use the grace period as a source of free, disposable Web addresses. With up to 6 million names tied up at any given time through a practice known as domain name tasting, individuals and businesses are having even greater difficulty finding good names, particularly in the already-crowded ".com" space. ... --Wendy -- Wendy Seltzer -- wendy(a)seltzer.org Visiting Assistant Professor of Law, Brooklyn Law School Fellow, Berkman Center for Internet & Society http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/seltzer.html http://www.chillingeffects.org/

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Independent Review of At-Large
by Denise Michel Feb. 20, 2007

Feb. 20, 2007

At the Sao Paulo ICANN meeting, the Board approved a comprehensive schedule for independent review of ICANN’s structures (as required under Article IV, Section 4 of the Bylaws), as well as the Board: • Nominating Committee – estimated launch December 2006 • At-Large Advisory Committee – estimated launch February 2007 • DNS Root Server System Advisory Committee – estimated launch July 2007 • Board – estimated launch October 2007 • Security and Stability Advisory Committee – estimated launch January 2008 • ccNSO Supporting Organisation – estimated launch July 2008 • Address Supporting Organisation – estimated launch December 2008 These reviews are intended to ensure an independent examination of the role and operation of key elements of ICANN, and are part of ICANN’s ongoing commitment to its evolution and improvement. As with the first two independent reviews, which were completed for the GNSO Council and the GNSO, these reviews will be conducted in an objective way by independent evaluators, under guidance from the Board on the review’s terms of reference, and with opportunity for public review and comment on the results of the reviews. **Accordingly, input from the At-Large Advisory Committee, Regional At-Large Large Organizations, and the At-Large community is invited on the draft Terms of Reference for the ALAC review. Please provide Nick Ashton-Hart <staff(a)alac.icann.org> with your comments and suggestions. Nick will be following-up with more information.** Draft Terms of Reference (TOR), which detail questions that will guide the independent reviewer, will be developed by staff and presented to the Board Governance Committee. This Committee, which has oversight responsibilities for independent reviews, will have draft TOR posted for public comment and then finalized. You may find the draft TOR for the Nominating Committee Review to be illustrative <http://icann.org/announcements/announcement-12dec06.htm>. Thank you for your interest and involvement in At-Large. Regards, Denise Denise Michel Vice President, Policy Development ICANN www.icann.org denise.michel(a)icann.org

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