February 2008 - EURO-Discuss

Welcome SchoolNet Africa to At-Large and the AFRALO!
by Nick Ashton-Hart Sept. 24, 2008

Sept. 24, 2008

Tuesday, 5 February 2008 TO: CLUSIT FROM: ICANN At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) SUBJECT: At-Large Structure Certification ICANN's At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) is pleased to inform you on behalf of the At-Large community in ICANN that CLUSIT has been certified as an At-Large Structure (ALS). The ALAC greatly appreciates your groups’ interest in involving individual users in ICANN and looks forward to working with you and your colleagues. The purpose of ALS certification is to recognize that your organization meets the necessary criteria to involve individual Internet users at the local or issue level in ICANN activities, and that your organization will support its individual members' informed participation in ICANN efforts that affect end-users. The ALAC is eager to promote a productive working relationship between your organization, other ALSes, and the ALAC (and ICANN in general), and your input on how we can make this a success would be greatly appreciated. We would like to offer some initial tools to help your organization keep its members informed (about significant news from ICANN and information on ICANN policy-development efforts) and engaged in activities of interest: - Point of Contact for your Organisation: Please send an email to staff(a)alac.icann.org identifying the names and email addresses of one or two individuals who will be the point of contact for information and correspondence regarding ICANN At-Large. If this changes, please let us know. - At Large Mailing Lists. There are many At Large email lists, for each region; you can signup for them and manage your subscriptions at: http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo The points of contacts you identify will automatically be added to: · Your region’s discussion list; · The worldwide At-Large discussion list. You are of course invited to join others as you wish (excepting those ending –Staff). - ALS information. Information about your organization will be shared with the At-Large community to enable individuals interested in your group's activities to contact you, and to encourage cooperation with other groups interested in ICANN activities in your geographic region. Please complete and email the form at the bottom of this note to staff(a)alac.icann.org. - At-Large related websites: There are a few websites you should be aware of: · The ‘official’ ICANN website for the At-Large community is at http://www.alac.icann.org . This site will be replaced with a much more up-to-date and modern site but in the meantime it is a good source of information and has links to all the At-Large related URLs and links to other parts of icann.org. · The ALAC Working Wiki: Much of the administrative and policy development coordination work is made available and developed on the community's wikis. Meeting agendas, recordings of meetings, minutes, and all kinds of important documents for the whole community are to be found to help you get 'up to speed' with the state of development of community positions on issues you care about. Feel free to join in; the place to start is at https://st.icann.org/alac/index.cgi?at_large_policy_working_groups . · At-Large Regional Websites. Regional webpages also have been created to distribute information (including in local languages) on activities, events and issues of particular interest to people in each region. They are: African Region: http://www.afralo.org/ Asia/Australia/Pacific Region: http://www.apralo.org/ European Region: http://www.euralo.org/ Latin America/Caribbean Region: http://www.lacralo.org/ North American Region: http://www.naralo.org/ - Regional WiKi: Each At Large Region has a Wiki that allows the region to collaborate and all ALSes are welcome to have edit privileges to help provide information on their activities. These wikis create the regional websites shown above. The staff will create accounts on the EURALO site for your designated contacts once you've sent them that information. We look forward to working with you and your organization's members to advance individual Internet users' interests within ICANN. If you have any questions, or need additional information, please contact us at alac(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director, At-Large ICANN Tel: +33 (450) 40 46 88 USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460 Fax: +41 (22) 595 85 44 mobile: +41 (79) 595 54 68 email: nick.ashton-hart(a)icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart(a)hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart(a)mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart

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Comments/Questions on Summary of EURALO Board Meeting in Geneva
by Veronica Cretu March 3, 2008

March 3, 2008

Dear Board members, especially those who made it for Geneva meeting this week, greetings! Thank you, Wolf, for the summary of the meeting, which is highly appreciated, especially due to my absence from the meeting! Below are some questions/concerns/comments I have after reading the Summary report per concrete issues that have been discussed during the meeting: 1. “There are suggestions to reduce the size of the EURALO board to five members to make it more operational and effective” – What are the main reasons behind changing the current number of EURALO Board members? (there is no enough information from the meeting summary on this). 2. I see that there were discussions about organizing certain events BUT “As we cannot count on ICANN funding for such a side event / Users Summit PrepCom in Paris” there are ideas about „prepare and submit a project proposal for the board to be submitted to different European organizations for sponsoring”. In this context, I have the following comments/observations: If EURALO is an ICANN related/created structure – than it should be able to function on support from ICANN. In case certain proposals are submitted to ICANN for funding, they SHOULD NOT BE refused/rejected, but on the contrary, improved and developed and finally implemented. Otherwise, if we start looking for funding from other organizations, we are NOT an ICANN structure any longer. Requesting funding from other donors, EUROPEAN ones, does not mean only using money for certain purposes, but adjusting our projects/activities/mission/scope, etc. to the priorities of the grant giver. And here: EURALO should clarify its working relationship with ICANN; If EURALO starts thinking about applying for sponsorship from other organizations, then, it should re-think/review its organizational structure, mission, etc. – that are not in line with ICANN bylaws, rules, procedures any longer. Also, in regards to EURALO will submit a new budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2008-09 to ALAC that will include several activities, and my questions/comments are: - Usually any budget is made based on a Action Plan/s for a certain period of time. Where can EURALO’s Action Plan for 2008-2009 be accessed? To what extent ALSs are involved in identification of certain activities of this Action Plan? 3. ICANN Internet users declaration and the preparation process of this Declaration: Preparing a Declaration of this kind on behalf of ICANN Internet Users raises several questions vs. concerns: The extent/degree to which ICANN Internet users are aware/informed about the current problems and challenges in the field? What ARE the current challenges, main problems in the field? What are the solutions or/and alternative decisions that are proposed OR should be taken? What are the PROs and CONs of each solution? Other. In order to find answers to the above questions, one needs both human and financial recourses. An ideal output would be a research report which would be disseminated among ICANN Internet users community and vis-à-vis which ICANN Internet Users community would take a certain attitude. This attitude is actually something that is reflected in a Declaration, and by this Declaration ICANN Internet Users would seek concrete changes/attitude from ICANN side. Is this what is meant? Is this the process that is being discussed by EURALO? I would appreciate concrete details about it, in order to be able to come with certain proposal/solutions for how that can be implemented, etc. Thank you all very much for your time and for making the Board F2F meeting become a reality for at least some members of the Board:)! Have a nice weekend ahead, Veronica

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Notes from Monday’s Geneva Meeting
by Wolf Ludwig March 3, 2008

March 3, 2008

Dear all, as promised yesterday, below you find the notes from our meeting on Monday in Geneva for review and comments: ______ Notes / Minutes from EURALOs’ first board meeting on Monday, 25 February 08, 12h00 – 15h30, at Jade Manotel, Geneva: Board members foreseen were: Annette, Desirée, Rudi, Sébastien and Wolf. Present in Geneva: Annette, Desirée, Wolf. Sébastien execused by Mail (Monday morning), no answer from Rudi. Jeanette, Bill and Wolfgang were briefed on the outcome on Tuesday (by Wolf). Proposed Agenda for this (1st) EURALO board meeting -- no supplements were suggested. (Topic 1) Briefing about ICANN’s New Delhi meeting As the board members present have all been in Delhi there is no need for a general briefing about the last ICANN conference. Wolf explained why he insisted on today’s board meeting even if our funding request has not been approved by ICANN staff again. The meeting was already agreed at our last phone conference at 17 January. And as it was said again and again that the EURALO board must have a chance to meet at least once f2f before the first GA in summer in Paris to overcome the “agony” we were accused for during the last months. (Topic 2) Options for an EURALO summit or PrepCom in Paris The idea for organising a Users’ Summit came up at ICANN’s LA meeting and Sébastien was strongly involved in the subsequent discussion and draft of a proposal in the Summit-WG. From a EURALO point of view there was a certain frustration when the global summit was postponed to the “Fiscal Year 2008-09”, to be organised somewhere else but Paris, by the ICANN board. And there have been different suggestions and ideas to use the ICANN Paris meeting *at our front door* for a common EURALO User-related project. In this context Wolfgang suggested: “I would add that we need a drafting committee. One outcome from the summit should be a "ICANN At Large & Internet Users Declaration". The Paris meeting gives us an opportunity to negotiate F2F on a text like on a PrepCom. We would need a drafting group with volunteers starting on a concrete outline and later with text.” (Wolfgang) The EURALO board (Annette, Desirée, Wolf, Jeanette, Bill and Wolfgang so far) believes that there is a need for another event for European ALSes besides the foreseen GA *based on content* with Working Groups and presentation on subjects like * Whois (volunteers Wolf with Rudi?) * A “Internet Users Declaration" * Public perception and understanding of DNS (Desirée) * Summary of ALAC’s activities (who volunteers for this part?) (any further suggestions for subjects?) Annette said that she has worked already on the “Internet Users Declaration" issue of putting together a list of items relevant for Internet users underlining some special European concern like Privacy and the Whois. Annette volunteeres to chair this WG and to set-up a Website to further discuss these subjects. The ALAC-EU / EURLAO (www.//st.icann.org/euralo/index.clgl) could be a suitable place for this. As we believe that many of our ALSes are tired from procedural debates and won’t come to Paris in summer if there is no event / programme of content and substance which may attract and mobilize them again. Therefore a common project like a European PrepCom (for a later global Users’ Summit) is considered as being essential. As we cannot count on ICANN funding for such a side event / Users’ Summit PrepCom in Paris Wolf will prepare and submit a project proposal for the board to be submitted to different European organisations for sponsoring. Part of such a PrepCom and project proposal could be an input like a “reader” with summarized position papers on subjects dealt with in Paris. (Topic 3) Draft EURALO budget for the coming fiscal year The board members (present) agreed that the current working conditions do not enable or promote RALOs’ efforts and do not allow to follow their tasks, dynamics and agenda setting. After EURALO was created in March 07 in Lisbon and the board was elected in May 07 we repeatedly asked for funding for a f2f board and outreach meeting which was refused twice. And there is no transparency so far, which of the five RALOs has requested what for their respective activities and what was approved by the staff or not. As long as we have no auto-determination and decision authority on the conduct of our activities we cannot make further progress with our work. At the Los Angeles 2007 meeting, ALAC and RALOs and staff have agreed upon clear procedures that any ALAC member or RALO representative could send in a budget proposal to the ALAC budget committee; the budget committee then coordinates the budget proposals and sends it to ALAC and RALOs and in general it is expected that if proposals within the limits of the budget, it should be approved by staff, and if it is not approved, the staff should explain why. Staff should be copied on the proposals from the very begging in order to facilitate this process. EURALO will submit a new budget proposal for the Fiscal Year 2008-09 to ALAC that will at least include -one board f2f meeting a year, -one General Assembly, -and several outreach and internet user related projects. Wolf will prepare a draft at the beginning of March, post it on the list for review and submit it afterwards to ALAC’s budget committee. (Topic 4) Planning for General Assembly in June 08 in Paris According to the by-laws EURALO and its board are supposed to organise a first General Assembly within one year. The next ICANN meeting in Paris offers the best opportunity for this GA as one representative per ALS will be invited and funded by ICANN for a meeting in its region. For a preliminary/draft GA-agenda the following points are suggested: Board Statement of Accounts, needs for revision of Bylaws (as noted in Lisbon) for example individual users participation at EURALO, discussion and approval of a EURALO working programme and projects 2008-09, approval of EURALO’s working budget 2008-09, board (re-)elections. (Topic 5) Board elections at GA in June 08 in Paris As the term of some (half) of the board members will expire in summer we have to discuss this issue at the GA in Paris. There are suggestions to reduce the size of the EURALO board to five members to make it more operational and effective. We have to clarify in advance whether any adjustments have to be made in the By-laws. (Topic 6) Other outreach activities foreseen Wolf was invited last week (21./22.02.08) to the DomainPulse 2008 in Vienna to discuss the “User perspective” and to present EURALO on a panel (moderated by Wolfgang and with participation of Roberto and others). Another outreach meeting (ICANN Studienkreis) is already foreseen in October 08 in Helsinki and EURALO should use this opportunity to find, attract and include ALSes from Scandinavia (which is a blind spot at our landscape so far). (7) Miscellaneous None This is a first draft from Monday’s meeting, discussed, modified and approved at yesterday evening’s/Tuesday meeting with Jeanette, Bill and Wolfgang. Please let us know your comments on the respective topics! If we can find further approval we could define it as a “consent paper” of the board -- and discuss further details on a next phone conference. Thanks and regards, Wolf comunica-ch phone +41 79 204 83 87 www.comunica-ch.net http://blog.allmend.ch - Digitale Allmend

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working on a EURALO draft internet users declaration
by Annette Muehlberg March 3, 2008

March 3, 2008

dear all, as an outcome of our todays euralo board meeting in geneva, i started a blog on a draft for an icann internet users declaration we might want to present at the euralo meeting in paris and use as our proposal for a global discussion on that issue. please go ahead and put in your ideas and proposals at: http://euralo.wordpress.com/ greetings annette

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Re: [EURO-Discuss] Application for ALS from APTI
by Annette Muehlberg Feb. 29, 2008

Feb. 29, 2008

warm greetings back to you from berlin! annette > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: "Adela Danciu" <adelada(a)yahoo.com> > Gesendet: 29.02.08 12:55:20 > An: "'Sébastien" Bachollet' <sebastien.bachollet(a)isoc.fr> > Betreff: Re: [EURO-Discuss] Application for ALS from APTI > Actually is a result of Wolfgang's European IG Summer School of last summer and not only ... ;) > > Warm greetings from Bucharest to all, > > Adela > > Roberto Gaetano <roberto(a)icann.org> wrote: > this is excellent news! i wonder whether this is a result also of wolfgang's icann studienkreis meeting last fall... > cheers, > roberto > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > From: euro-discuss-bounces(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org [mailto:euro-discuss-bounces@atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Matthias Langenegger > Sent: Thursday, 28 February 2008 16:48 > To: Discussion for At-Large Europe; Wolf Ludwig; Annette Muehlberg; Sébastien Bachollet > Subject: [EURO-Discuss] Application for ALS from APTI > > > Dear all, > > We would like to inform you about the reception of an ALS application from the Association for Technology and Internet (APTI), a Bucharest-based Internet Organisation. Please find it attached > to this mail. > > There will be further information on the background of the application sent to you in due course. > > Best regards, > > Matthias Langenegger > At-Large Coordination Officer > > _______________________________________________ > EURO-Discuss mailing list > EURO-Discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/euro-discuss_atlarge-lists.… > > Homepage for the region: http://www.euralo.org > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------------------- > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. > --

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ALS application from france@large
by At-Large Staff Feb. 29, 2008

Feb. 29, 2008

Dear all, We would like to inform you about the reception of an ALS application from france@large, a Versailles-based Internet Organisation. Please find it attached to this mail. You will find that it is in French. An English version of the application as well as further information about of the application will be sent to you shortly. Best regards, At-Large Staff staff(a)alac.icann.org

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GNSO Improvements Proposals Open for Public Comment
by Nick Ashton-Hart Feb. 29, 2008

Feb. 29, 2008

Please note that the GNSO Improvements Report 2008 is open for public comments from 25 February 2008 to 25 March 2008 http://www.icann.org/public_comment/#gnso-improvements-report-2008 GNSO Improvements Report 2008 Explanation: On February 15, 2008, ICANN's Board acknowledged receipt of the "GNSO Improvements Report" and indicated that it would like to receive final public comments on the Report to enable it to consider and implement the Report's recommendations as soon as possible. The Board has directed ICANN staff to open a public comment forum on the Report for 30 days, draft a detailed implementation plan in consultation with the GNSO, begin implementation of the non-contentious recommendations, and return to the Board and community for further consideration of the implementation plan. A copy of the Board's resolution regarding this matter can be found here. http://www.icann.org/minutes/resolutions-15feb08.htm A COUPLE OF POINTS TO CONSIDER FOR AT-LARGE MEMBERS: * Do you think that the At-Large community should be a part of the GNSO as a constituency in its own right? You can read more about this in the proposals on page 41. * One of the recommendations is that greater coordination between the GNSO and other parts of ICANN should be implemented - this includes At-Large - read more about it on pages 47 - 48 HOW TO GET THE REPORT: You can read the full report here [PDF, 197K] http://www.icann.org/topics/gnso-improvements/gnso-improvements-report-03feb 08.pdf and see a web page with more information here. http://www.icann.org/topics/gnso-improvements/ The ICANN Board Governance Committee's "GNSO Review Working Group" http://www.icann.org/topics/gnso-improvements/ developed the Report's http://www.icann.org/topics/gnso-improvements/gnso-improvements-report-03feb 08.pdf set of recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the GNSO, including its policy activities, structure, operations and communications. The Report reflects the Working Group's examination of many aspects of the GNSO's functioning, including the use of working groups and the overall policy development process (PDP), and the structure of the GNSO Council and its constituencies. The Board Governance Committee determined that the GNSO Improvements working group had fulfilled its charter and forwarded the report to the Board for consideration." Is it clear to you what this comment period covers? Do you have all the information you need to respond? The staff member responsible is Denise Michel - if you have questions, she can be reached at denise.michel(a)icann.org. Please submit comments to: gnso-improvements-report-2008(a)icann.org Archives: http://forum.icann.org/lists/gnso-improvements-report-2008/ Please take the time to comment. Thank you. Glen de Saint Géry GNSO Secretariat - ICANN gnso.secretariat[at]gnso.icann.org http://gnso.icann.org -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart Director for At-Large Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Main Tel: +33 (450) 40 46 88 USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460 Fax: +41 (22) 594-85-44 Mobile: +41 (79) 595 54-68 email: nick.ashton-hart(a)icann.org Win IM: ashtonhart(a)hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart(a)mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart

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Guide to Domain Names in Generic Top-Level Domains
by At-Large Staff Feb. 29, 2008

Feb. 29, 2008

Dear Community: As some of you know, some time ago a draft Guide to Domain Names was prepared by an ICANN consultant with a view to having it published for the use of the individual Internet community worldwide. During the At-Large community meetings in New Delhi, it was decided that the work of preparing the guide for publication should be concluded by allowing members of the community to provide any comments, proposed edits, or thoughts for inclusion in the published text not later than 31 March 2008. I have attached the current draft of the text for you to review. We will have translated editions prepared of the final edition - unfortunately the cost of translating something that may (depending upon how many comments and the nature of the comments) change a great deal makes translating the text now difficult. POINTS TO CONSIDER: 1) This is the raw text of the guide. The version to be published will be prepared in a desktop publishing environment to make it attractive and visually appealing. Of course, until the basic text is completed, it is hard to decide precisely how to format the guide in a DTP application - that's why we are having it done 2) It has been suggested that some graphics would be useful. This of course is entirely sensible. If you have ideas for what these should be, please let us know. You do not have to be very specific - something like the following would work: "Put in a pie chart showing the total number of registered domains in all gTLDs, broken down by gTLD" 3) Is there something which could be included that would be specific for your region of the world? Let us know - there's no problem with producing regionally-specific versions of the guide, if you think that would be more useful. 4) Revision tracking is turned on, so if you want to edit the text directly and send that to us, feel free. Equally, you can just send us narrative suggestions - please remember though that we need enough specificity to be able to understand what to change. If your comment is extremely general, that will make it difficult to know what we should change. If we are unsure of what you mean, we will reply and ask you for more details. -- Regards, ICANN At-Large Staff email: staff(a)alac.icann.org

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Application for ALS from APTI
by Matthias Langenegger Feb. 29, 2008

Feb. 29, 2008

Dear all, We would like to inform you about the reception of an ALS application from the Association for Technology and Internet (APTI), a Bucharest-based Internet Organisation. Please find it attached to this mail. There will be further information on the background of the application sent to you in due course. Best regards, Matthias Langenegger At-Large Coordination Officer

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Re: [EURO-Discuss] working on a EURALO draft internet users declaration
by Wolf Ludwig Feb. 28, 2008

Feb. 28, 2008

Hi, the report from yesterday's meeting will be posted on this list tomorrow. Regards, Wolf JFC Morfin wrote Tue, 26 Feb 2008 13:04: >is this an official Euralo blog? >Will there be a report of yesterday's meeting there? >Thank you. >jfc > >At 14:55 26/02/2008, Annette Muehlberg wrote: >>dear all, >>as an outcome of our todays euralo board meeting in geneva, i >>started a blog on a draft for an icann internet users declaration we >>might want to present at the euralo meeting in paris and use as our >>proposal for a global discussion on that issue. >> >>please go ahead and put in your ideas and proposals at: >><http://euralo.wordpress.com/>http://euralo.wordpress.com/ > comunica-ch phone +41 79 204 83 87 www.comunica-ch.net http://blog.allmend.ch - Digitale Allmend

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