by kierenmccarthy on October 9, 2010
Nearly two months ago, I reviewed the ICANN Board and staff’s efforts at releasing the information that goes into the Board’s decision-making.
I was pretty scathing – and for good reason. It was a poorly managed, poorly handled, largely pointless exercise that saw huge chunks of information blacked-out for no discernible reason, and provided without notice, on a webpage four pages deep into the ICANN website, in two large PDF documents.
For some reason it reminded me of Douglas Adams’ classic The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy where Arthur outlines exactly how he managed to get his hands on the council’s plans to demolish his house [see below].
So, what has been ICANN’s reaction? Well, it appears to have got upset at not being paraded through the streets for providing the bare minimum of information about decisions that it makes on the community behalf, and so has decided not to bother at all anymore.
It is now 8 October and there are no materials at all for the 5 August meeting, or the 24-25 September meeting of the Board. Which contrasts somewhat with the next-day publication of the September meeting resolutions which the Board wanted published.
It’s really more Kafka than Adams. [click to continue…]
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by kierenmccarthy on October 8, 2010
I’ve sent the following note to ICANN’s Accountability and Transparency Review Team (ATRT) on its own mailing list that it pays no attention to.
I’m frustrated that they have become a part of the problem, rather than the solution. And in reviewing their draft recommendations, you can’t help but be struck by the vagueness, lack of focus, and weak wording. Anyway…
Becoming what you set out to change. In this, you have failed miserably.
Gandhi said: “You must *be the change* you want to see in the world.”
When you put out a call for ATRT members to provide statements of interest in being a member of the team, you received 26 applicants.
Of these, 17 were “endorsed” – although we don’t quite know through what process or why.
Of these 10 were chosen for the team – although we don’t quite know through what process or why.
When Becky Burr was kicked off the team for an apparent conflict of interest that she had declared from day one, the ccNSO replaced her with Chris Disspain – a very able and respected member of the community but not someone who was in the original 26 applicants, or 17 endorsed candidates.
Just this week, Willie Currie has stepped down from his position on the ATRT because he has taken a job with a regulator in his own country. The NCSG part of the GNSO replaced him with Carlos Alfonso – a very able and respected member of the community but not someone who was in the original 26 applicants, or 17 endorsed candidates.
This begs two big questions: [click to continue…]
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