Cheryl Langdon-Orr ha scritto:
Final from me on this matter (I hope) until we discuss these issues further (and indeed we should discuss them) in LA are, interspaced below...
I'd like to add my opinion on this matter, as it's not a new discussion :) The interim ALAC was tasked with one main task, that of forming the RALOs; it decided to start dealing with policies immediately, because that was thought necessary to establish its credibility and motivate people to participate. The final ALAC has only one main task: producing policy advice. The organizational stuff, elections, secretariats etc., should just be a routine running in the background and occupying a share as little as possible of the energies. One can discuss to which extent the ALAC members have to write policy recommendations themselves, or whether they have to be facilitators of a broader communication. Possibly it's both. However, the ad personam funding for ALAC members is being provided exactly to allow some people from the At Large community to work on policy on a fair level with all other constituencies, where employees pay at least the expenses (by the way, Danny, that's usually true of the NCUC as well - of course universities and NGOs usually are poorer employers, but still most NCUC members do ICANN as part of their professional activities). So, the point of spending the money is facilitating the work of policy advocates on behalf of the At Large, and nothing else. Bottom line, the ALAC members can't get staff support, paid conference calls, the travel money, the hotel room, paid dinners, 75$ a day, and then expect that most of the work is voluntarily done by someone else in the community who's not getting any of that. That's not a reasonable expectation, and it's also quite unfair. An ALAC member who does not lead or at least contribute significantly to the development of any policy statement is a bad investment of the public's money, and a useless ALAC member. Finally, I recognize Evan's point on the fact that many people are new to this environment and that there is a lack of good sources of information, but new people can still do as all of us did when starting - read a lot, make stupid questions, try for yourself, write down and teach to others what you are learning. Showing interest in actual policy issues would be enough. Start working, and that will encourage help and more work by others. Regards, -- vb. Vittorio Bertola - vb [a] bertola.eu <-------- --------> finally with a new website at http://bertola.eu/ <--------