With respect to the modalities of tracking individual users, I can tell you more about this on the teleconference, but we are in the throes of setting up CiviCRM (www.civicrm.org) as a membership management/database for At-Large, and this does provide the ability for individuals to be a part of a RALO in an individual capacity, as well as the option of being a part of an ALS (or both). On 29/05/07, Bret Fausett <bfausett@internet.law.pro> wrote:

In reading and thinking through the various posts, I see widespread agreement that the NARALO should allow individuals to participate, and, in fact, the current draft documents allow for participation in mailing lists, discussions and in person meetings.

I also see growing interest in providing individuals with a role in voting and, perhaps, representation on the ALAC.

At the same time, however, my read is that a substantial majority of those participating in this discussion do not wish to slow the course of our work building a RALO or electing ALAC representatives to change the structure now.

To that end, my suggestion is that we complete the RALO formation and MOU with ICANN, on such terms as we can agree. (Personally, Luc's suggested revisions seemed good to me.)

When we elect ALAC representatives, however, we will elect one for a two-year term and one for a one-year term. Why don't we leave open the possibility that when the one-year term expires at the end of the ICANN annual meeting in 2008, the successor will be elected by individuals?

I say "leave open the possibility" because for election by individuals to become an actuality, I think at least three things would need to happen by 1 May 2008:

(1) we need to arrive at a definition for "Individual At Large User from North America" (e.g. Citizen of a country in ICANN's North American Region, at least 18 years of age, with sufficient access to the Internet to participate in ICANN's policy discussions....I'm making this up without much thought -- it's just a straw man for us to knock around.)

(2) we need to have a way of registering and verifying the identity of each "Individual At Large User from North America" (p.s. I actually don't think this is a hard problem to solve. It could be as simple as mail, fax or email an application, with a photocopy of a government-issued picture ID, to the Chair of the GA, with a copy to Nick.)

(3) we need an adequate "triggering threshold" of "Individual At Large Users from North America" to make this count. By this I mean that "individual" representation, on an equal basis with the organizations, has no legitimacy if the group of individuals is just me, you, Wendy, Jean and Danny. We need some number of individuals -- 500?, 1000? 5000? or pick your favorite straw man number -- to start us off. Again, I don't think any of these are hard targets to reach. Whatever the number, we're just a slashdot post or an EFF press release away from reaching it.

Is this a reasonable way forward?

Bret

_______________________________________________ NA-Discuss mailing list NA-Discuss@atlarge-lists.icann.org http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/mailman/listinfo/na-discuss_atlarge-lists.ica... --- Draft MoU with ICANN: http://www.icannwiki.org/NA_RALO_MOU

Draft Operating Principles: http://www.icannwiki.org/NA_RALO_OP

Draft Code of Conduct: http://www.icannwiki.org/NARALO_Code_of_Conduct

-- -- Regards, Nick Ashton-Hart PO Box 32160 London N4 2XY United Kingdom UK Tel: +44 (20) 8800-1011 USA Tel: +1 (202) 657-5460 Fax: +44 (20) 7681-3135 mobile: +44 (7774) 932798 Win IM: ashtonhart@hotmail.com / AIM/iSight: nashtonhart@mac.com / Skype: nashtonhart Online Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhart