[NA-Discuss] Length of At-Large Comment Periods

Evan Leibovitch evan at telly.org
Tue May 31 20:53:54 UTC 2011


Hi again,

My sincere apologies for having twice misspelled the name of
Jean-*Jacques*Subrenat.

- Evan

On 31 May 2011 16:50, Evan Leibovitch <evan at telly.org> wrote:

> My two cents:
>
> This problem is structural, and central to the way ICANN operates. The
> Board and senior staff set various agendas in the most top-down of manners,
> and the stakeholders must then scramble to be heard in the time allotted to
> the issue. It's too hard to tell if this is deliberately designed to keep
> stakeholders (especially volunteer ones) off-balance, or simply as a
> convenience matter of keeping things neat and tidy at the Board level.
>
> I can say from multiple first-hand experiences that attempts to advance
> user issues that are not presently on the Board's plate (or in sync with its
> timetable) are impolitely brushed aside -- deferred until never. Only the
> GAC seems to have the leverage to override this rebuke, and even then its
> engagement is hardly welcomed with open arms.
>
> I am no more fan of the time-lines than anyone, and can only defend them by
> saying that had these windows not been what they were, policy advice that we
> believed needed to be heard ... would not be at all. The best we can ask for
> is to ask for as much community participation _before_ the fact, to
> participate in policy *before* the dreaded comment-reply window is invoked.
>
> The new Future Challenges working group of ALAC is an attempt to reverse
> this course, and to stop our being in panic-reaction mode all the time. Its
> seed comes from Jean-Jaques Subrenat, a former ICANN Board member who is now
> an ALAC representative from Europe. Jean-Jaques brings to this effort some
> much-needed understanding of ICANN Board internals. Even so, based on
> history this WG will encounter some present challenges as well ... but it
> still needs to be done.
>
> - Evan
>
>
> On 31 May 2011 15:29, Beau Brendler <beaubrendler at earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> Unfortunately this is not a new problem. And it's not limited to ALAC -- I
>> have seen the NCSG having to respond with similar, ridiculous turnaround
>> deadlines set by the GNSO. Here as there, it's as if volunteers are expected
>> to drop whatever they are doing in order to comment on ICANN business,
>> whether trivial or significant.
>>
>> I do not know what a solution would be. Some of the more cynical among us
>> might assume bureaucratic intent on the part of ICANN? Analogous in some way
>> to the old attorney's trick of burying one's opponent in a blizzard of
>> paperwork the night before a hearing?
>>
>> We should thank Danny for raising this point so dramatically. It is a
>> fundamental flaw in the system.
>>
>> One possible way of working within it is to firmly designate subject
>> experts on a broad range of topics and delegate to them, with trust, the
>> duty of drafting a core response as soon as the request is made, then giving
>> the community a chance to comment on it, rather than just opening it up
>> broadly and hoping someone comes forward with something to say.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> >From: "Thompson, Darlene" <DThompson1 at gov.nu.ca>
>> >Sent: May 31, 2011 2:57 PM
>> >To: Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond <ocl at gih.com>, 'Seth Greene' <
>> Seth.Greene at icann.org>
>> >Cc: "na-discuss at atlarge-lists.icann.org" <
>> na-discuss at atlarge-lists.icann.org>
>> >Subject: Re: [NA-Discuss] Length of At-Large Comment Periods
>> >
>> >I think that Danny has raised an excellent point and I would like to hear
>> from staff on this issue.
>> >
>> >D
>> >
>> >Darlene A. Thompson
>> >Community Access Program Administrator
>> >Nunavut Dept. of Education / N-CAP
>> >P.O. Box 1000, Station 910
>> >Iqaluit, NU  X0A 0H0
>> >Phone:  (867) 975-5631
>> >Fax:  (867) 975-5610
>> >E-mail:  dthompson at gov.nu.ca
>> >
>> >
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: na-discuss-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org [mailto:
>> na-discuss-bounces at atlarge-lists.icann.org] On Behalf Of Danny Younger
>> >Sent: Tuesday, May 31, 2011 2:51 PM
>> >To: Olivier MJ Crepin-Leblond
>> >Cc: na-discuss at atlarge-lists.icann.org
>> >Subject: [NA-Discuss] Length of At-Large Comment Periods
>> >
>> >As of late, I have noticed that when a Call for Comments is issued to the
>> at-large community, the time-frame for providing comments in response to the
>> Call is far from sufficient.  Below I have listed the last eight Call for
>> Comment cycles (announcement dates and comment closure dates are shown); the
>> available time for comments can at best be described as a few days.  A few
>> days is simply not enough time for most individuals, and I can't imagine
>> that organizational entities would take any comfort in the present
>> arrangement.  It would be appreciated if something could be done to improve
>> the present situation.
>> >
>> >
>> >1.  Call for Comments:  ALAC Statement on the Public Call by the
>> Stability, Security and Resilience of the DNS Review Team
>> >
>> >Announced 01 April
>> >Deadline  03 April
>> >
>> >
>> >2.  Call for Comments:  ALAC Statement on the Proposed Framework for the
>> FY12 Operating Plan and Budget
>> >
>> >Announced 04 April
>> >Deadline  04 April
>> >
>> >
>> >3.  Call for Comments:  ALAC Statement on the Post-Expiration Domain Name
>> Recovery Working Group Proposed Final Report
>> >
>> >Announced 20 April
>> >Deadline  22 April
>> >
>> >
>> >4.  Call for Comments:  ALAC Statement to the ICANN Board on the RAA
>> Negotiations
>> >
>> >Announced 22 April
>> >Deadline  29 April
>> >
>> >
>> >5.  Call for Comments:  JAS WG Second Milestone Report
>> >
>> >Announced 08 May
>> >Deadline  09 May
>> >
>> >
>> >6.  Call for Comments:  ALAC Statement on the Proposal for Renewal of the
>> .NET Registry Agreement
>> >
>> >Announced 11 May
>> >Deadline  15 May
>> >
>> >
>> >7.  Call for Comments:  ALAC Statement on Academia Representation on
>> NomCom
>> >
>> >Announced 20 May
>> >Deadline  25 May
>> >
>> >
>> >8.  Call for Comments:  ALAC Statement on eG8 Forum
>> >
>> >Announced 20 May
>> >Deadline  22 May
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
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>
>
>
> --
> Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
> Em: evan at telly dot org
> Sk: evanleibovitch
> Tw: el56
>
>


-- 
Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada
Em: evan at telly dot org
Sk: evanleibovitch
Tw: el56



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