Kurt,
Thanks for this appropriate kick-off of this discussion.
I would want to be a part of the group that works on this.
Assume "communications" includes the concept of outreach, and
of course outreach would mean presence in key industry events
where our target contacts congregate.
As a first, and since the next ICANN meeting is in Buenos Aires,
I would propose that, instead of the customary 60 minute UASG
panel discussion with audience (where we talk among ICANN
attendees who are familiar with our issues), we hold a one day
seminar, perhaps on the Friday commencing the ICANN meeting,
and invite key software associations, university IT educators, ISPs
and Connectivity Providers, web portal and mobile apps developer
clusters, CIOs from online transactional services such as home
banking, online retail and transactions in general. The first part
of the seminar would be conceptual, giving an overview of the
issues involved, with examples we can muster of non-resolving
e-mails, websites and online rejection of new gTLDs.The second
part would be technical, with presentations for an audience that
has technical skills and know-how.
It could be presented as THE GLOBAL DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM
UPDATE, or something like that...
Some funding should be made available for funding attendance
of key software associations in the region (only for entities that
have large memberships and can thus distribute what they take
away from the seminar to their members) Seminar could be
taped and subtitled for distribution in other regions.
Materials should be available to be handed out, both overview
and technical/specific (I think videos are good).
The ICANN LAC community could certainly be called upon
to assist in getting the right people to attend.
With regards to your suggestions, which I agree with, if we
consider:
- building and staffing a UA issues desk of the handling "complaints" about UA issues
This is of the utmost importance as the pivotal source of information that tells us where
problems are happening. This has a second leg, which is: who rings the doorbell at a
problem target, and how is that to be done? In discussions within the ISPCP Constituency,
which is highly committed to support the UASG, the concept of regional coverage was
found attractive. It may well be more productive to have someone local set up the meeting
and go in and explain the problem, than attempting to do it by phone from Los Angeles
or London (for example). Regional coverage could encompass volunteer clusters, who
live in the region and know how and where to approach targets.
Just a couple of thoughts...
Tony Harris