Jean Armour Polly wrote:
The upcoming outside review will show whether or not ALAC has embarrassed itself.
I can't speak for ALAC, my comments regarded the NARALO.
In the US we have had very little uptake on the ALS idea; in fact many people that still have their ICANN member at large PIN numbers from the days of the direct votes think the whole RALO idea serves to keep individuals at the fringes where they will not be able to cause any trouble. That's one take. Another is that bringing collectives into the fold vastly increases the numbers of people involved/interested, and because the representation from these ALSs are from people selected by (and responsible to) the collectives, they tend to be less ego-driven.
Be clear I am not saying this is what I think, I am just reporting on it (although I do still have my PIN number from 7 years ago!)
What are you reporting on, then? Private emails? A secret society? A ghetto of the disaffected? How many of you are there? Are there enough to form an ALS? ;-)
It also has not helped that the US specifically does not have an ICANN evangelist. Jacob Malthouse is specific to only the Caribbean and Canada, NOT the US.
Considering that ICANN is widely been seen as an American body serving American interests, (remember WSIS efforts to get UN control?) you won't find any sympathy for the POV that the US isn't sufficiently involved. It seems no coincidence that none of the Canadians on this list are whining about the failures of the past. We weren't a part of that. This is an attempt to start something new, and my main concern right now is that people who have already had their shot are insistent on bringing their failed baggage to this process. While I have no illusions that the new system will produce certain results, I believe that importing the cynical and confrontational attitudes of the past significantly increases the chance of similar failure in the future. The ALS process hasn't even been given a chance to work, yet we have plenty in our midst who would doom it before it starts. This is something I suspect the cynics probably want, heaven forbid we might succeed where they failed! It's unfortunate that rather than help the newcomers understand -- to better navigate -- the nuances of ICANN culture, the old-timers spend their energies either telling us we're wasting our time, or trying to reinvent the process to more resemble their previously unsuccessful strategies.
So the fact remains that individual engagement offers the last best hope for participation in the US at least. Yes, there is only me so far. I think that actually proves the point.
No it doesn't prove a thing.
Vint, for one, has said many times that he hopes the NARALO will come up with something novel. I don't have time to go find citations in transcripts and mail for you, though, sorry! Others that remember this might corroborate.
Who's Vint? Nobody by that name has posted since I've been on the list. Maybe you and he can form an ALS for all those disaffected folks, or get involved in an existing NPO that would apply as an ALS. Now THAT would be novel!
This is an opportunity to do something different, that might be better. It's not a race. No one is trying to delay anything. There's a seat empty on the NA ALAC roster right now. I don't know the status of it but I'd bet if we agitated to have it filled by our interim chair (or insert name here) the other ALAC members would agree.
Maybe that's part of the problem you had. Perhaps "agitating" is an American tactic that hasn't worked so far, and a different way of thinking -- and acting -- is called for. - Evan