One of the fascinating things about the Internet world is the new meanings given to words. Whether we should do that in this case or not is open for discussion. Chuck ________________________________ From: owner-council@gnso.icann.org [mailto:owner-council@gnso.icann.org] On Behalf Of Philip Sheppard Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2009 3:48 AM To: 'Council GNSO' Subject: [council] Abstentions Let me assist with some thinking from elsewhere: Oxford English dictionary Abstention "not using ones' vote" abstention 1. the formal act of not voting Collins Essential English Dictionary <http://www.thefreedictionary.com/_/misc/HarperCollinsProducts.aspx?Engl ish> 2nd Edition 2006 (c) HarperCollins Publishers 2004, 2006 Wikipedia (take it or leave it) "Abstentions do not count in tallying the vote negatively or positively; when members abstain, they are in effect only attending the meeting to aid in constituting a quorum, which in turn means that those who abstain still effect the general number of people in quorum".