[At-Large] It's time to end the failed Ombudsman experiment, was Respectful Online Communication and Behavior

[Karl Auerbach]

John R. Levine wrote:

> It's been clear for years that the Ombudsman experiment is a failure, 
> adding neither clarity nor fairness to ICANN's process.  It's long past 
> time to delete Article V from the ICANN bylaws and bring the experiment 
> to an end.  If ICANN wants to be credible and transparent, it needs 
> fewer, simpler processes.

The Ombudsman office was part of what was "given" to the community of 
internet users as payment for the elimination of publicly elected 
members on ICANN's board of directors.

We are sort of like those aboriginals of legend who sold the island of 
Manhattan for a few beads and trinkets - we gave up a great deal and got 
very little in return.

I, too, feel that it is long past time for ICANN to eliminate the office 
of the ombudsman.  Without going too deeply into the failures of the 
current occupant of that office - although the Ombudsman luggage tags 
that were given out in Vancouver were unforgettable - there is no reason 
for the office to continue.

A good board member can act, and has more legal authority to act, to 
cure errors than does the current office.

		--karl--