gTLD for developing regions was Re: [] knitters needle

[Evan Leibovitch]

On 8 July 2012 21:08, Rafik Dammak <rafik.dammak at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hello Evan,
>

Hi Rafik,


>
> I have yet to see significant evidence in the developing world of "if we'd
>> only known about the gTLD program we would have applied".
>
>  well, how you can prove that there was little interest? just because few
> number of applications? quite vicious circle :)
>

On the contrary.... the small number of developing-world applications is
amongst the only hard evidence (ie, numerical and factual) that exists. It
offers a definitive answer to "how many came forward"; the rest is analysis
of why the number is so low and attempts to answer hypothetical questions.

Comments about insufficient communications/outreach are typically
accompanied by the assumption that more outreach would have led to more
applications. I am not convinced of this assumption; there is no evidence
(so far) that indicates that any African organizations with the finances,
capability and potential interest to apply for a gTLD was unaware of the
program. Hence my challenge to find any organization, company, ministry,
development foundation or other body that would come forward to say it
would have applied for a TLD but did not know the expansion was happening,

The lack of ICANN outreach did not prevent an army of consultants and
service organizations scouring the globe, looking for potential
registries-in-waiting. Certainly not ALL of them would have passed up the
opportunity to take the money of Africans as much as that of Americans or
Europeans. Minds+Machines alone had its own "Capacity Building and Grant
Program" to parallel the JAS. In other words, the lack of ICANN outreach
did not necessarily mean that all those who would have been good candidates
for registries were left unawares.

So if lack of demand was not from lack of awareness, what caused it?

In my own African experiences I found Internet/telecom use and priorities
to be very different from my encounters in Europe and North America; for
instance, the use of cellphones for micro-banking was well understood (and
in significant use) in my African travels but unheard of where I live.
Priorities are different. Opportunities are different. As Milton has
suggested, vanity domain names may be a luxury far, far down a needs list
that has basic connectivity, accessibility, and sometimes literacy at the
top.

(The assertion that the vast bulk of new gTLDs are vanity/luxury goods is a
different but related discussion I'm happy to have. Since we know that
there will be a .africa TLD, any community that would be seen to benefit
from a TLD could functionally accomplish the same thing with
<community>.africa and save a LOT of money and risk)

So in sum, my premise is that in the developing world, the low number of
applications are due to practical rather than communications reasons. gTLDs
were simply considered not important enough. Awareness was not as good as
would have been liked, but it was far from nonexistent -- and yet almost
nobody took advantage of being in this elite group of African applicants. I
see no likelihood that greater outreach would necessarily have led to more
gTLD applicants at even JAS-subsidized costs.

Prove me wrong. Please.

in fact, the few number of applications from developing regions is good
> argument that ITU can sell to show how much ICANN is careless about
> internationalization and developing countries.
>

I agree, but I'd go a step further. It shows that substantial parts of the
world are already aware that a massive gTLD expansion is unnecessary and
that ICANN is globally out of touch in service of the public interest. Even
in the developed world, many of the applcations are concentrated amongst a
small group of speculators and infrastructure providers.

- Evan
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