[ncdnhc-discuss] A statement on the ICANN "reform" proposal

[Dave Crocker]

At 10:15 AM 2/26/2002 -0500, Rob Courtney wrote:

>Yes, but by bringing governments into the policy structure

Governments have always been in the structure.  The real problem has been 
trying to maintain a fantasy that they weren't.  Governments have real and 
basic power.  No matter how much the US Whitehouse, The NCDNHC, the CDT, or 
anyone else might honestly want governments to stay our of ICANN activity 
-- and no matter how much they actually SHOULD stay out -- there is a 
bottom-line reality that they stay out only if they want to.  In this case, 
they do not want to.


>there's a risk of ICANN over time being pressured beyond its technical 
>mission into "real" Internet Governance.

So far mission creep is primarily a problem being caused by the people who 
claim to be afraid of it, rather than something ICANN has actually 
demonstrated.


>While the Lynn proposal several times mentions that ICANN's mission is 
>narrow and technical, I don't think it establishes enough actual 
>meaningful safeguards against this kind of mission expansion.

There is the minor problem that if you try to worry about everything that 
can possibly go wrong, you will never make any progress.  AND you will not 
succeed at protecting against all abuses.  Humans are much too clever for that.

As an exercise, please list all of the things that a parent needs to watch 
out for a child doing that is bad or dangerous.  Remember that the stakes 
are that the child can hurt themselves, or others, or damage property.  So 
be very diligent at making this list.

         Did you make sure to protect against their taking a rock an 
running it down the side of your car?

Worry about what is.  Not the infinite range of what might be.

Or, at least, rather than just criticize the proposal, try to offer 
specific modifications.  (Unless, of course, you think that ICANN is 
functioning just fine.)

d/


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Dave Crocker  <mailto:dcrocker at brandenburg.com>
Brandenburg InternetWorking  <http://www.brandenburg.com>
tel +1.408.246.8253;  (new)fax +1.408.850.1850