The following two excerpts are from the NCUC document Robert transmitted:

ALAC, the Nominating Committee and GNSO

...

"The NCUC proposal embodies a distinct philosophy regarding the appropriate role of the At Large. In NCUC's view, the At Large is intended to be a mechanism for aggregating the preferences of end users of all stakeholder groups across all ICANN issues. The At Large is intended to be a generalized representational category that applies to everyone and anyone, regardless of affiliation. At Large representation now includes, and should include, both commercial and noncommercial users and the technical community as well. The At Large is intended to influence Board selections and policy decisions in ways that span all ICANN Supporting Organizations, not just the GNSO. "

"In order to fulfill this unique function, ALAC has been given strong representation on the Nominating Committee. Indeed, historically the Nominating Committee was established to serve as a replacement for the At Large election of Board members. Nomcom and At Large thus serve very similar functions in ICANN's representational structure. In effect, both are in a position to influence all Supporting Organization Councils and to look at ICANN issues as a whole. "

And:

Would creation of a Stakeholder Group for "Non-Commercial Users," possibly including an Individuals Constituency, overlap with the interests represented by the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) and its supporting structures?

"No. It is a serious misperception to view ALAC as a proxy for specifically noncommercial stakeholders within ICANN. Many of the At Large Structures are technical organizations, or trade group oriented. Many of the individuals involved in the At Large are associated with small businesses or are consultants and entrepreneurs. Many ALAC participants would fit just as well within a Commercial Users stakeholder group. "

I am interested in hearing how others view the NCUC characterization of At-Large, and their proposed changes viz. At-Large.

-MM