[ncdnhc-discuss] ICANN committee recommends voting restrictions,fewer At-Large di rectors

[Dave Crocker]

At 11:54 PM 8/30/2001, Adam Peake wrote:
>The 9/9 arrangement was the consensus that emerged after much careful 
>discussion among many parties over the summer and autumn of 1998. ICANN 
>was founded on that consensus and some related promises to the US Government.

And everything that has happened since then shows that we need to view the 
at large component with considerable concern.  It has paid more attention 
to grandstanding and hysteria, and even a degree of capture.

The original model was broken.  It needs to be fixed.  Using experience to 
modify a broken arrangement is usually permitted.

Prudence dictates that no group, no matter how idealistically described, 
should be given absolute authority over important resources, such as the 
DNS and IP address assignment.

It needs to have a diverse range of participants, each with a small enough 
portion of the total so that it is required to collaborate with other parts 
of the group.


>I like the consensus model, I think it's a good thing to strive for and 
>once achieved it should not just be dumped: the 9/9 arrangement should be 
>tried and given the opportunity to work.

The problem with capture is that it cannot be reversed, since it then 
controls the decision process.


>Why do you believe the At Large is a single constituency and is open to 
>capture?

I'm just trying to apply the same logic that is used about other 
constituencies.  Common selection mechanism and common labeling suggests an 
important degree of coherence.


>Who would capture?

what do you not understand about the board having 50% of its members 
selected in a homogenous manner, all with the same label of "at large"?


>How would they capture?

By existing.  A 50% voting block inherently has captured the decision process.


>and then how would the control the board?

by voting.

d/


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Dave Crocker  <mailto:dcrocker at brandenburg.com>
Brandenburg InternetWorking  <http://www.brandenburg.com>
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