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Call for membership in the At-Large Technology Taskforce Working Group (TTF)
by ICANN At-Large Staff April 23, 2012

April 23, 2012

Dear All, Please find below a call for membership in the At-Large Technology Taskforce from the Chair, Dev Anand Teelucksingh. ** Dear All, One of the recommendations from the ALAC/At-Large Improvements Project Milestone Report dated 9 October 2011 (https://community.icann.org/x/fAW5AQ) is the establishment of an At-Large Technology Taskforce (TTF) The TTF will be responsible for several tasks, including: - periodically review the appropriateness of available technology, - help train RALOs/ALSes in new technologies introduced and possibly operate a help desk, - introduce to the ALSes selected information-dissemination, communication and collaboration tools and provide training, - assist with the development and implementation of the At-Large Social Media Outreach Strategy, - assist ICANN staff with the redesign of the At-Large website. Participation of the At-Large community and ALAC in policy discussions involves the use of a diverse amount of tools and technologies over the Internet. In turn, ALS representatives are expected to disseminate information within their ALS and to the general public. The At-Large community's understanding and effective usage of the various technology tools is important. A Technology Workspace has been created at https://community.icann.org/x/JZvbAQ which the TTF will maintain to help document the various technology tools and best practices and/or useful add-ons that would help At-Large members better use these tools. While the word "technology" in the working group name may imply that only persons well versed in technology need only apply, THAT IS NOT THE CASE. We're also seeking persons that are willing to evaluate various tools and share feedback. If you have any questions about the TTF and/or wish to join the TTF, please email ICANN At-Large Staff at staff(a)atlarge.icann.org by Monday, 30 April. The first call of the TTF will be held in early May 2012. Kind regards, Dev Anand Teelucksingh Chair of the TTF ** Regards, Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Matt Ashtiani, Gisella Gruber, and Nathalie Peregrine ICANN Policy Staff in support of ALAC E-mail: staff(a)atlarge.icann.org

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The Guardian's Open 20: fighters for internet freedom
by Glenn McKnight April 23, 2012

April 23, 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/20/twenty-fighters-open-inter… The Guardian's Open 20: fighters for internet freedom >From politicians and professors to computer scientists and the first programmer, champions of the open internet. -- Glenn McKnight mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com skype gmcknight twitter gmcknight Http://www.globalcatalysts.com http://newsocialmedia.wordpress.com

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DOODLE / Webinar for At-Large gTLD Review Dashboard
by At-Large Staff April 22, 2012

April 22, 2012

Dear All, Further to the ALAC call on Tuesday 17 April, and as agreed during the call, a webinar will be held on the At-Large gTLD Review Dashboard the week of 30 April. Dev Anand Teelucksingh will provide a review of the At-Large gTLD Review Dashboard <https://community.icann.org/display/atlarge/Draft+prototype+gTLD+Review+Das hboard> that will be used by At-Large to determine whether the ALAC should file objections to specific new gTLD applications. Please complete the attached Doodle poll to find a suitable time to schedule this Webinar. http://www.doodle.com/amemr52ygu2md8u7 If you require interpretation for this call, please note the language next to your name on the Doodle poll - example: "name" + (ES) or (FR).Interpretation will only be provided if there is sufficient demand. This Doodle poll will close on Wednesday 25 April 2012 at 2000 UTC. The date and time will be confirmed shortly thereafter. Thank you. Regards, Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Matt Ashtiani, Gisella Gruber, and Nathalie Peregrine ICANN Policy Staff in support of ALAC E-mail: staff(a)atlarge.icann.org

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Don’t Be Evil, but Don’t Miss the Train
by Glenn McKnight April 22, 2012

April 22, 2012

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/technology/dont-be-evil-but-dont-miss-the… BACK in 2004, as Google<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/google_inc/index.html…> prepared to go public, Larry Page and Sergey Brin celebrated the maxim that was supposed to define their company: “Don’t be evil.” But these days, a lot of people — at least the mere mortals outside the Googleplex — seem to be wondering about that uncorporate motto. How is it that Google, a company chockablock with brainiac engineers, savvy marketing types and flinty legal minds, keeps getting itself in hot water? Google, which stood up to the Death Star of Microsoft? Which changed the world as we know it? The latest brouhaha, of course, involves the strange tale of Street View, Google’s project to photograph the entire world, one street at a time, for its maps feature. It turns out Google was collecting more than just images: federal authorities have dinged the company for lifting personal data off Wi-Fi systems, too, including e-mails and passwords. Evil? Hard to know. But certainly weird — and enough to prompt a small fine of $25,000 from the Federal Communications Commission<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/15/technology/google-is-fined-for-impeding-u…> and, far more damaging, howls from Congress and privacy advocates. A Google spokeswoman called the hack “a mistake” and disagreed with the F.C.C.’s contention that Google “deliberately impeded and delayed” the commission’s investigation. Many people might let this one go, were it not for all those other worrisome things at Google. The company has been accused of flouting copyrights, leveraging other people’s work for its benefit and violating European protections of personal privacy, among other things. “Don’t be evil” no longer has its old ring. And Google, an underdog turned overlord, is no humble giant. It tends to approach any controversy with an air that ranges somewhere between “trust us” and “what’s good for Google is good for the world.” But ascribing what’s going on here solely to the power or arrogance of a single company misses an important dimension of today’s high-technology business, where there are frequent assaults, real or perceived, on various business standards and practices. Mark Zuckerberg has apologized multiple times for Facebook<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/facebook_inc/index.ht…>’s changing policies on privacy and data ownership. Last year, he agreed to a 20-year audit of Facebook’s practices.<http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/30/technology/facebook-agrees-to-ftc-settlem…> Jeffrey P. Bezos has been criticized for how Amazon.com<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/amazon_inc/index.html…> shares data with other companies, and what information it stores in its browser. And Apple<http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/apple_computer_inc/in…>, even before it drew fire for the labor practices at Foxconn in China, had trouble over the way it handled personal information in making music recommendations. When such problems arise, executives often stare blankly at their accusers. When a company called Path was recently found to be collecting the digital address books of its customers, for instance, its founder characterized the process as an “industry best practice.”<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/disruptions-so-many-apologies-so-m…> He reversed the policy after a storm of criticism. WHAT’S going on, when business as usual in such a dynamic industry makes the regulators — and the public — nervous? Part of Google’s problem may be no more than an ordinary corporate quandary. “With ‘Don’t be evil,’ Google set itself up for accusations of hypocrisy anytime they got near the line,” says Roger McNamee, a longtime Silicon Valley investor. “Now they are on the defensive, with their business undermined especially by Apple. When people are defensive they can do things that are emotional, not reasonable, and bad behavior starts.” But “Don’t be evil” also represents the impossibility of a more nuanced social code, a problem faced by many Internet companies. Nearly every tech company of significance, it seems, is building technologies that are producing an entirely new kind of culture. EBay, in theory, can turn anyone on the planet into a merchant. Amazon Web Services gives everyone a cheap supercomputer. Twitter and Facebook let you publish to millions. And tools like Google Translate allow us to transcend old language barriers. “You want a company culture that says, ‘We are on a mission to change the world; the world is a better place because of us,’” says Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn and a venture capitalist with Greylock Partners<http://www.greylock.com/>. “It’s not just ‘we create jobs.’ A tobacco company can do that.” “These companies give away a ton of value, a public good, with free products like Google search, that transforms cultures,” Mr. Hoffman says. “The easy thing to say is, ‘If you try to regulate us, you’ll do more harm than good, you’re not good social architects.’ I’m not endorsing that, but I understand it.” The executives themselves don’t know what their powerful changes mean yet, and they, like the rest of us, are dizzied by the pace of change. Sure, automobiles changed the world, but the roads, gas stations and suburbs grew over decades. Facebook was barely on the radar five years ago and now has a community of more than 800 million, doing things that no one predicted. When the builders of the technology barely understand the effect they are having, the regulators of the status quo can seem clueless. Moreover, arrogance can come easily to phenomenally well-educated people who have always been at the top of the class. Success, though sometimes fickle, comes fast, and is registered in millions and billions of dollars. The world applauds, so it’s easy to see yourself as a person who can choose well for the world. In the “people like us” haze of the rarefied realms of tech, it’s easy to forget that, well, not everyone* is* like us. Not everyone is comfortable with the idea of sharing personal information, of living in full view on the Web. And, of course, ordinary people have more downside risk than a 26-year-old Harvard dropout billionaire. Another hazard is also one of the great strengths of the Silicon Valley: a tolerance of failure. Failing at an interesting project is seen as an important kind of learning. In the most famous case, Steve Jobs was driven from Apple, then failed in his NeXT Computer venture and for a while floundered at Pixar. But he picked up vital skills in management and technology along the way. There are a thousand lesser such stories. If tech is building a new culture, with new senses of the private and the shared, the failure of overstepping boundaries is also the only way to learn where those boundaries have shifted. It is a self-serving point, but that doesn’t mean it’s entirely wrong. To the outsiders, it can look a lot as if the companies are playing “catch us if you can” by continually testing, and sometimes exceeding, boundaries. IS there a better way? Mr. Hoffman says he thinks the tech industry has to acknowledge how much its products are shaping society. “We need something more than, ‘We’re good guys, trust us,’ ” he says. “There should be an industry group that discusses overall issues around data and privacy with political actors. Something that convinces them that you are good guys, but gives them a place to swoop in.” -- Glenn McKnight mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com skype gmcknight twitter gmcknight Http://www.globalcatalysts.com http://newsocialmedia.wordpress.com

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Interview with ICANN Chief Security Officer Jeff Moss
by Joly MacFie April 20, 2012

April 20, 2012

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jLhHCwzX0w&feature=uploademail> Interview with ICANN Chief Security Officer Jeff Moss<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jLhHCwzX0w&feature=uploademail> In this video interview, ICANN's Vice President and Chief Security Officer Jeff Moss describes the glitch that led ICANN to take offline the application system for new generic top-level domains (gTLDs). Moss describes the glitch, and elaborates on how ICANN technical teams are working to test a fix for the issue that led to a temporary suspension of the application system on 12 April. The CSO answered a variety of questions from Brad White, ICANN's Director of Global Media Affairs, ranging from the discovery of the issue to why ICANN decided to pull the application system offline. More<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jLhHCwzX0w&feature=uploademail> -- -- --------------------------------------------------------------- Joly MacFie 218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast WWWhatsup NYC - http://wwwhatsup.com http://pinstand.com - http://punkcast.com VP (Admin) - ISOC-NY - http://isoc-ny.org -------------------------------------------------------------- -

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Travel funding re-allocation
by Beau Brendler April 19, 2012

April 19, 2012

Greetings. I said we would wait until Thursday to consider any potential objections to the re-allocation of travel funding from Ganesh to Dev. This being Thursday, I have, in fact, received no objections, and one note of endorsement. Therefore, I believe it is appropriate to say that Evan's proposal for travel funding is endorsed by the NA. Thanks BB

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FW: [Secretariat] FW: Fwd: [soac-discussion] Survey: ICANN effectiveness as a global organization
by Thompson, Darlene April 19, 2012

April 19, 2012

If you could, please take a few minutes to fill out the survey below. Thanks a bunch, D Darlene A. Thompson Community Access Program Administrator Nunavut Dept. of Education / N-CAP P.O. Box 1000, Station 910 Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 Phone: (867) 975-5631 Fax: (867) 975-5610 E-mail: dthompson(a)gov.nu.ca -----Original Message----- From: secretariat-bounces(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org [mailto:secretariat-bounces@atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of ICANN At-Large Staff Sent: Monday, April 09, 2012 7:07 PM To: alac-announce(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org; apac-discuss-bounces(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org; afri-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org; euro-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org; lac-discuss-en(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org; lac-discuss-es(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org; na-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org; secretariat(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org Subject: [Secretariat] FW: Fwd: [soac-discussion] Survey: ICANN effectiveness as a global organization Dear All, Olivier Crépin-Leblond, Chair of the ALAC, has asked that a reminder be sent out regarding the Survey on "ICANN Effectiveness as a Global Organization." Please find Olivier's email below, as well as Kurt Pritz's initial email. Regards, Heidi Ullrich, Silvia Vivanco, Matt Ashtiani, Gisella Gruber, and Nathalie Peregrine ICANN At-Large Staff E-mail: staff(a)atlarge.icann.org On 3/23/12 3:37 PM, "Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond" <ocl(a)gih.com> wrote: >Hello everyone, > >please find enclosed, an invitation to participate in the survey on >ICANN effectiveness as a global organization. I often hear criticism >that ICANN is not doing enough -- now is the time to express yourself. >Since we are present in all of ICANN's 5 regions, I would really >recommend that you send this to your local RALO lists too. > >Available in: English - Arabic - Chinese - Russian - French - Spanish > >Kind regards, > >Olivier > >-------- Message original -------- >Sujet: [soac-discussion] Survey: ICANN effectiveness as a global >organization >Date : Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:19:48 -0700 >De : Kurt Pritz <kurt.pritz(a)icann.org> >Pour : soac-discussion(a)icann.org <soac-discussion(a)icann.org> >Copie a` : David Olive <david.olive(a)icann.org>, Robert Hoggarth ><robert.hoggarth(a)icann.org>, Jamie Hedlund <jamie.hedlund(a)icann.org> > > > >Dear Community Leader: > >ICANN is publishing today a survey >(http://questionpro.com/t/AHB7OZM7Lx) ><http://questionpro.com/t/AHB7OZM7Lx%20> to solicit community input on >improving its effectiveness as a global organization. We seek your help >to forward this email to your community members and encourage >participation. ICANN has community participants and leaders from all >regions of the world and seeks to enhance to its performance as a >global organization. > >Participation is important. The feedback collected from the survey will >help inform ICANN¹s strategy for improving its global engagement. By >identifying the activities that are most important toward fully >reflecting the global nature of ICANN¹s mission, the feedback will also >help to establish priorities for ICANN. The survey results will be >shared with the ICANN community and additional opportunities will be >made available to comment before any actions are formalized and >implemented. > >The survey is available in all of the UN languages, and feedback is >encouraged from stakeholders in all regions. The survey is open until >22 April 2012. > >The survey is intended to aid understanding the following: > >1) The extent to which our current participation and operating >processes >either: encourage global participation in ICANN; contribute to ICANN's >global effectiveness; or improve ICANN's interactions as a global >organization. > >2) The extent to which ICANN's participation and operating processes >improve ICANN's reputation globally. > >In addition to the multiple-choice survey questions, every section >includes an open-ended text box to provide supporting information or >specific recommendations. Taking the time to add written comments is >important and can contribute directly to strategy development. > >If you have any questions or concerns about the survey, please send an >e-mail to: participation(a)icann.org <mailto:participation@icann.org> or >write directly to me at pritz(a)icann.org <mailto:pritz@icann.org>. > >Please participate. Please strongly encourage others to do so. > >Sincerely, > >Kurt Pritz > >ICANN > >_______________________________________________ >Secretariat mailing list >Secretariat(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org >https://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/secretariat > >Secretariat wiki at: http://st.icann.org/secretariat _______________________________________________ Secretariat mailing list Secretariat(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org https://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/secretariat Secretariat wiki at: http://st.icann.org/secretariat

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Re: [NA-Discuss] Tim Berners- Lee and UK Snooping
by Carlton Samuels April 18, 2012

April 18, 2012

I saw and read it with some interesting too. Especially since deep in the story, it finally came thru that he's not really against snooping in principle but moreso about how it was managed: "He said that if the government believed it was essential to collect this kind of sensitive data about individuals, it would have to establish a "very strong independent body" which would be able to investigate every use of the surveillance powers to establish whether the target did pose a threat, and whether the intrusion had produced valuable evidence. But he said that since the coalition had not spelled out an oversight regime, or how the data could be safely stored, "the most important thing to do is to stop the bill as it is at the moment". I do share his sense of foreboding on the easy ride we give Facebook and Google in relation to this same issue. And the sense that a backlash is inevitable. - Carlton ============================== Carlton A Samuels Mobile: 876-818-1799 *Strategy, Planning, Governance, Assessment & Turnaround* ============================= On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 7:00 AM, <na-discuss-request(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > wrote: > Send NA-Discuss mailing list submissions to > na-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2012 21:33:01 -0400 > From: Glenn McKnight <mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com> > Subject: [NA-Discuss] Tim Berners Lee and UK Snooping Legislation > To: na-discuss(a)atlarge-lists.icann.org > > > http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/17/tim-berners-lee-monitoring… > > > -- > Glenn McKnight > mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com > skype gmcknight > twitter gmcknight > Http://www.globalcatalysts.com > http://newsocialmedia.wordpress.com > > >

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Tim Berners Lee and UK Snooping Legislation
by Glenn McKnight April 18, 2012

April 18, 2012

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/apr/17/tim-berners-lee-monitoring… -- Glenn McKnight mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com skype gmcknight twitter gmcknight Http://www.globalcatalysts.com http://newsocialmedia.wordpress.com

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Interesting article on NPR
by Glenn McKnight April 18, 2012

April 18, 2012

http://www.npr.org/2012/04/17/150817325/in-noisy-digital-era-elegant-intern… -- Glenn McKnight mcknight.glenn(a)gmail.com skype gmcknight twitter gmcknight Http://www.globalcatalysts.com http://newsocialmedia.wordpress.com

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