On Fri, 22 Nov 2019 at 06:36, Roberto Gaetano < mail.roberto.gaetano@gmail.com> wrote: First of all, I am a bit embarrassed about Alan’s praise of my continuing
being active once off the Board. Besides that I have been in the loop again also because of my tenure as PIR Board, I am now just an individual Internet user, and my participation to ALAC is simply because this is the best way I can defend my own positions and interests in the net.
Alan's praise was fully justified. Your continuing presence has been a great asset and offered a level of continuity that many other groups lack. As for: "*the best way I can defend my own positions and interests in the net*"
I am torn about this. I have pulled back from ALAC because I have found that participation is too inefficient. That is, the amount of good done per hour spent is just too low for me. The time investment to be merely competent in ICANN issues, given the current structure, is way too high. I also find the ALAC ratio of process to policy -- as a proportion of collective effort and time -- to be seriously abnormal. The volume of self-made bureaucracy is just staggering to me and a clear obstacle to involvement. I've also been involved in ISOC (which also has difficulties defining its own community) as well as IETF (though I'm not tech inclined enough to be effective there). But after all the dust has settled, I've retrenched into domestic volunteerism, and will work to influence Canada's positions on Internet policy and at the ITU through local consumer advocacy. That is -- at least for now -- where I think my time is best spent making the Internet better for everyone. Meanwhile, I stick around here and ISOC (virtually) hoping that one day they will come to their senses and actually want to serve their mandates and stakeholders. Everyone's mileage will vary. - Evan