Patrick:
I am convinced that the ALAC needs members who can be fully operational from day one. Given the complexity of the ICANN environment, this is no simple task and experience does count.
Thomas: Yes, experience counts, but then again, I've seen people join ALAC with relatively little prior ICANN experience, and do a lot of good work. I've also seen people roam around ICANN with more hats than anyone cares to count, and with difficulties to reconcile different agendas (and yes, we've had that on ALAC). Therefore, I think a combination of a relative newcomer with high potential (and, I understand, rather deep involvement with ccTLD operations) with a more experienced participant would be optimal. Wolfgang: In last years NomCom we picked Jon Bing from the Oslo Internet Institute as a person who never attended ICANN meetings but with a big potential to bring fesh ideeas to the GNSO. Ask Bruce Tomkin what he thinks now after one year of Jons contirbutions. His interventions and actions are excellent. If only "CANN experience"wuld have been counted he never woould hzave been selected by NomCm and the ICANn community would have lost a very potential contributor.