[At-Large] Respectful Online Communication and Behavior

[Karl Auerbach]

Frank Fowlie wrote:

> I don't believe that there is anything strange or naïve in the
> expectation that participants in an organization which represents a
> global community would conduct themselves at a level of discourse and
> behaviour that includes respectful communication.

You seem to have entirely missed the point of my note.

Yesterday I visited the home of Thomas Jefferson, the man who drafted 
the United States' Declaration of Independence.  The Declaration was 
drafted in the most respectful of terms but it stated with clarity and 
force an utter repudiation of the king's position.

The core of your document is not respect but self emasculation:

Your document tells us to "exercis[e] independent judgment based solely 
on what is in the overall best interest of Internet users and the 
stability and security of the Internet's system of unique identifiers, 
irrespective of personal interests and the interests of the entity to 
which an individual might owe their appointment."

ICANN's board members do in fact have a fiduciary duty that somewhat 
resembles the above.  But we are not board members.

And ICANN employees are required in the course of their jobs to follow 
the policies set forth by ICANN's board.  But we are not ICANN employees.

Those of us who argue for positions within ICANN are entitled to argue 
for our own values.  We may use such means of expression as we feel most 
appropriate.

Further, many of us are attorneys who represent clients in these 
matters.  It would be a violation of our professional obligations to our 
clients were we to set aside their interests and substitute your 
"overall best interest of the Internet user" standard.  Others, who work 
form corporate "stakeholders" within ICANN would often be in dereliction 
of their own duties to their employers were they to set aside the 
interests of their employer.

Your note is out of touch with the ICANN that exists.  ICANN is a system 
of economic regulation of the domain name space.  ICANN does virtually 
nothing that pertains to the "stability and security of the Internet's 
system of unique identifiers".

In conclusion, I am once again stunned that ICANN permitted money to be 
spent in the creation of this document.

		--karl--