Hello Karl, you wrote:
When I say "community of internet users" I do not mean things like ALS or RALO.
Membership in some ICANN approved organization ought not to be a pre-condition to the ability to run-for, vote for, or occupy a seat on the ICANN board of directors or any other ICANN body.
It doesn't. I am living proof of that. What you need in order to do what you describe is: 1. a lot of energy 2. to prove to others that you have the time and determination to work for free for the common good of all 3. to be a nice person and be able to get along with others 4. integrity 5. a thick skin - because you'll receive ad-hominem attacks before you even receive your first congratulation, and those complaints are not from your fellow At Large members, but from people external to ICANN, ready to tag you with an ICANN poison sticker 6. to have a good knowledge of (a) processes and (b) 7. to understand when you're in the wrong and others are right. To respect the consensus. etc. I am sure there are a lot more conditions to running for elections, but one which I did *not* encounter was one where I was told "sorry you can't run, you're not a member in an ICANN approved organization". Cheers, Olivier -- Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond, PhD http://www.gih.com/ocl.html