There were only 4 positive replies when Philip and I proposed a BC comment, so we do not have sufficient consensus to just set aside our voting rules. Nothing has been filed for the Constituency as a whole. Let me encourage you to file individual comments as Philip and I have (see below) before the deadline tonight. -- Steve DelBianco ------ Forwarded Message Subject: NetChoice supports GAC concerns with EOI purpose and process NetChoice supports the Government Advisory Committee (GAC) suggestion regarding process: '...avoid taking a decision on the EoI at its February meeting and defer it until the next ICANN Public meeting'. ( see http://forum.icann.org/lists/draft-eoi-model/msg00191.html ) Before the ICANN Board votes on whether to proceed with the EOI, it should first resolve the ambiguity about what the EOI is designed to accomplish. Namely, is the EOI just a data gathering exercise, or is it a mandatory pre-registration for a specific string? Once we understand that threshold question, the community can then debate the details of the EOI plan during a brief public comment period followed by public discussions at the Nairobi meeting in March. For instance, if the EOI is only about gathering data, there's no need to publicize actual strings proposed by applicants who want their strings to be kept confidential. On the other hand, if the EOI is going to be a mandatory pre-registration, ICANN should finish the Applicant Guidebook and Registry Contract before asking applicants to file an EOI with a hefty fee. Finally, NetChoice respectfully disagrees with one complaint the GAC lodged with respect to process. In their comments, the GAC complained that 'no request has been made for GAC¹s opinion'. NetChoice encourages the GAC to assume that their opinion is always welcome, just like the opinion of any stakeholder in ICANN process development. To be an effective participant during the critical early stages of policy development, the GAC needs to engage in deliberations and working groups -- without waiting for a formal invitation. -- Steve DelBianco Executive Director NetChoice www.NetChoice.org and http://blog.netchoice.org +1.202.420.7482 About NetChoice: NetChoice is a coalition of e-Commerce businesses who share the goal of promoting convenience, choice and commerce on the Net. NetChoice members include AOL, eBay, Expedia, IAC, News Corporation, Overstock.com, VeriSign, Yahoo! and over 10,000 small online sellers. ------ End of Forwarded Message