I share the concerns put forth by both Susan Crawford and Wendy Seltzer. Susan described the .xxx resolution as both weak and unprincipled -- the same can be said about those ICANN community members that pretend to be the At-Large. (1) During the course of the last year the ALAC received a large volume of messages pertaining to issues associated with RegisterFly. What exactly did the ALAC's stalwart defenders of the individual interest do in response to these messages -- in a word: nothing. The ALAC failed to serve the needs of the registrant community. (2) During the course of the last several years there have been repeated calls for the implementation of a registrant data escrow program. Did the ALAC aggressively pursue acting on the registrant's behalf to ensure the sanctity of the domain name systems' Hall of Records? No. The ALAC did nothing. (3) Since the implementation of the transfers policy there have been numerous registrant complaints pointing to failures of process that crippled a registrant's ability to transfer a domain in a timely fashion. Has the ALAC done anything to address this issue? No. (4) The phenomenon of domain name tasting commenced well over two years ago and has resulted in typosquatting on a massive scale. How long did it take the ALAC to wake up to that fact? (5) Registrants continue to pay onerous Redemption Grace Period fees owing to ICANN's failure to adopt the Bucharest recommendations to convene a Technical Steering Group that would devise a specification allowing registrants to choose a competitive redeeming registrar. Has the ALAC spoken out about these extortionate fees? No, not a word. (6) The At-Large Study Committee found a consensus for the formation of an At-Large Supporting Organization that would seat At-Large representatives on the ICANN Board. What actions did ALAC members take to support that initiative? None. As a body that purportedly represents the interests of the At-Large community the ALAC is pathetic, weak, lacking in principles, and lacking a backbone. Did the ALAC take a formal position on .xxx? Did the ALAC provide input to the President's Strategy Committee? Has the ALAC provided any formal comments on the Final Task Force Report On Whois Services? Has the ALAC provided any guidance with respect to the issues under consideration by the Contractual Conditions PDP Task Force? Has the ALAC offered any guidance pertaining to ICANN's Operational Plan? Has the ALAC formally commented on ICANN accountability and transparency issues or on the ICANN Management Operating Principles? Has the ALAC addressed concerns relating to registry use of traffic data? Frankly, one has to wonder what in practical terms the ALAC has accomplished other than enjoying their travel perks. Is it any wonder that North Americans have no desire to participate in this sham? It's hard enough getting work done and bringing issues to the ICANN Board and Staff; we don't need to be impeded by a spineless non-productive Advisory Committee without the guts to push for representation on the ICANN Board. If the At-Large still had representatives on the Board, do you think that we would have gone so many years without the escrow protection that we needed? History has demonstrated that our issues remain on the back burner until an absolute calamity brings them to the forefront. This is what happens when Board level representation is denied to the At-Large. You understand this, and yet you lack the courage to stand up for your rights. You members of the ALAC should be very ashamed that you have traded your principles for travel perks, and that after four and a half years you have done so very little for those you claim to represent. But go ahead, build your RALOs, enjoy your Photo Opportunities... I am sure that they will look great on your personal resumes. In the meantime, the rest of us will continue to route around your ineptitude and lack of resolve. ____________________________________________________________________________________ The fish are biting. Get more visitors on your site using Yahoo! Search Marketing. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/arp/sponsoredsearch_v2.php