[At-Large] Say Whut!

bzs at theworld.com bzs at theworld.com
Sat Dec 15 04:37:47 UTC 2018


+1 Evan.

What one would need, however, is a value proposition even if just good
assurance it would be more than jaw (or finger) exercise.

Perhaps, if I May, binding referendums, they've worked so well elsewhere.

But that sort of thing, humor aside.

On December 14, 2018 at 07:24 evan at telly.org (Evan Leibovitch) wrote:
 > A lot of this conversation has devolved into a defence of ALSs, and I am hoping
 > that that is not the sole focus on comment (positive or negative) on my larger
 > point. The organizations that are ALSs can and should play a great role in
 > Internet governance, and can produce some of our best policymakers and
 > advocates. It is not a coincidence that so many of them are ISOC chapters, a
 > fact that provides another nexus of participation in IG.
 > 
 > However, I am asserting that dependence on the RALO/ALS infrastructure by ICANN
 > as the source and destination for ALAC interaction with the world's end users
 > is absolutely futile.
 > 
 > Let's do the math.
 > 
 > By ICANN's own count, only one third of the world's countries have at least one
 > ALS. But do the numbers even deeper. Assume an average membership of 5,000 for
 > each of the 130 ALSs, which based on my observation is REALLY generous. The
 > means a current MAXIMUM reach of 650,000 people, assuming that all of them are
 > engaged in their ALS's ICANN activity.
 > 
 > ITU estimates the number of Internet users at 3.2 billion, meaning that
 > assuming 100% ALS engagement  (which, let's face it, we are nowhere near) ALAC
 > could be speaking to and hearing from AT MOST 0.02% of the Internet's users.
 > 
 > Not only is that number really small, but that 0.02% is not the mainstream of
 > users. ALSs are self-selected as having an interest in ICANN and/or Internet
 > governance. These groups already have something of a clue about the issues by
 > virtue of their interest. The MASSIVE challenge is to reach people who are
 > significantly impacted by the tech and the policy yet neither are nor should be
 > involved in IG directly. I am asserting that ALAC's challenge is to get the
 > this uninvolved world's informed opinion.
 > 
 > The "informed" part means that we need to get useful information out there, and
 > by that I don't mean just being another channel for ICANN propaganda, I mean
 > the information WE determine that the public needs to know even if that
 > knowledge is ignored, hidden by or embarrassing to ICANN (and there's lots of
 > that). ICANN has a broad communications and PR network and that's a good place
 > to start.
 > 
 > The "opinion" part means going WELL beyond canvassing ALSs, by that I mean
 > occasional big scale Nielson/Ipsos type global surveys of the public mood,
 > within the general public that day to day doesn't (and shouldn't need to) give
 > a damn about ICANN or the DNS. One can have useful and necessary opinions about
 > what's wrong with the local highway system without being a road planner,
 > traffic police or auto mechanic.
 > 
 > Looking at this as a RALO/ALS project is thinking WAY too small for ALAC to be
 > effective in truly representing the public interest to ICANN. We need to reach
 > out to a global audience of Internet users who will never even think of owning
 > a domain yet is impacted every day by the decisions made at ICANN meetings.
 > Abuse, confusion, speculation, the difference between gTLDs and ccTLDs, how to
 > complain, user's rights, etc. There is plenty of information that ALAC may
 > determine is useful to the public good that ICANN -- with its emphasis on the
 > domain-name money path -- may not deem important. Then ALAC can determine the
 > questions for the surveys, even if honest answers will be embarrassing. In the
 > interest of transparency this is a huge missing piece of ICANN's pretence of
 > multi-stakeholderism, and this feedback gives ALAC huge insight regarding what
 > really matters to the public and where ALAC's focus should lie.
 > 
 > Does the PUBLIC feel that a new round gTLDs are in its interest? Would it help
 > or hurt their use of the Internet? Wouldn't that actually be really useful to
 > know? Wouldn't this input give ALAC the gravitas needed when we wants to
 > intervene in ICANN in a way that counters the industry inertia? Even the GAC
 > doesn't have that.
 > 
 > It's not that ALSs (and even RALOs) don't serve a useful purpose. They don't
 > serve THIS purpose as they are too inside the Internet Governance bubble. We
 > haven't done nearly enough to reach the opinions of the rest of the world, and
 > "outreach" efforts attract at best a slightly more-diverse self-selected elite
 > to the table. That's nowhere near enough and we need to stop thinking within
 > our little IG bubble.
 > 
 > ALAC desperately needs to escape that bubble for it to be relevant to ICANN,
 > IMO.
 > 
 > Cheers,
 > 
 > - Evan
 > 
 > 
 > On Thu, 13 Dec 2018 at 12:47, Marita Moll <mmoll at ca.inter.net> wrote:
 > 
 > 
 >     I would certainly echo Suzannah's point. Here in Ottawa we are also trying
 >     to build our community on the ground.  It is happening but slowly -- one
 >     person/group at a time. One just has to keep at it. But the ability to
 >     broaden our reach with technology is crucial. We don't have the funds to do
 >     a traveling road show. Not everyone is an ISOC chapter -- so ICANN needs to
 >     make tools like Livestream  available to all groups and individuals in At
 >     Large who are doing outreach.
 > 
 >     Marita
 > 
 >     On 12/13/2018 12:27 PM, Susannah Gray wrote:
 > 
 > 
 > 
 >         On 13/12/2018 00:51, Joly MacFie wrote:
 > 
 >             >  ALSes as a conduit to their members
 > 
 >             Slowly but surely, at least here in NYC, the Readout program
 >             appears fruitful in this aspect.
 > 
 >         - And in San Francisco. As an ALS (San Francisco Bay Area ISOC Chapter)
 >         we keep our members informed through the Readouts and through updates
 >         about key ICANN issues on our website/in the Chapter newsletters.
 > 
 >         However getting our members to actually participate is a tough call,
 >         mainly because it's quite hard to 'sell' At-Large and even harder for
 >         those with little background knowledge of ICANN to get up to speed
 >         quickly enough to be able to participate effectively.
 > 
 >         Cheers,
 > 
 >         Susannah 
 > 
 >         —
 >         Susannah Gray
 >         President
 >         San Francisco Bay Area Internet Society Chapter
 >         www.sfbayisoc.org
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > 
 >             j
 > 
 >             --
 >             ---------------------------------------------------------------
 >             Joly MacFie  218 565 9365 Skype:punkcast
 >             ---------------------------------------------------------------
 > 
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 > 
 > --
 > Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
 > @evanleibovitch or @el56
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