[ALAC] Bikeshedding [was Re: Open Public Comment Proceedings]

[Evan Leibovitch]

On 2 September 2017 at 09:05, <h.raiche at internode.on.net> wrote:


> I've had a look at all three, and am not sure they are of real importance
> to ALAC
>
>
​Holly is exactly right.

At-Large has a scarcity of volunteer resources ­-- notably in those who
have the time, skills and background necessary to analyze such matters and
write cogent, relevant responses.​

While it is wholly appropriate of staff to ensure that we don't
accidentally miss anything, it is also incumbent upon At-Large (and
especially its leadership) to show the discipline necessary to ignore that
minutiae and concentrate on the larger picture of how ICANN actions impact
end-users globally. We have not always succeeded in this discipline.

In fact, yesterday a software developer friend of mine introduced me to a
term I hadn't heard before, that IMO well describes ALAC's historic
tendency to get caught up in the flurry of responding to ICANN's trivia and
losing sight of the real bylaw-mandated purpose we are here to serve:
bikeshedding <http://communitymgt.wikia.com/wiki/Bikeshedding>.

Right now I am involved in a GNSO working group in which domain industry
representatives are insisting to pore over every word of the Geneva
Convention to determine whether the Red Cross has the right to ask that its
names not be in the pool of domains for sale in gTLDs. At least from an
end-user standpoint this is absolutely absurd; we don't need this kind of
time wastage for At-Large to tell the Board and community of ICANN that
enabling commercial (ab)use of Red Cross/Crescent/Diamond/etc domain names
is morally repugnant.

Many other examples exist in At-Large. It most reliably emerges any time
the phrase "public interest" is invoked in our midst.

Industry advocates paid to divert stakeholders from the big picture have
created an ICANN process designed to distract and waste resources from
those of us without the financial incentive or means to keep up.

This is bikeshedding by design. Resist.

Cheers,
Evan
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://atlarge-lists.icann.org/pipermail/alac/attachments/20170902/08ccd5d1/attachment.html>