[NA-Discuss] Pointless Meeting in Vancouver

[John L]

> If you dont see that the realm that ICANN covers is intricately related 
> to a host of other matters that are best dealt with in the same 
> conceptual space, even if different entities may have jurisdiction or 
> authority over them and will require our addressing different bodies in 
> a coordinated way then perhaps you cant see the big picture.

I fear my problem is that my imagination is sadly limited by actual 
experience working on Internet issues.  I will admit that I have never 
spent two intense days at a conference envisioning open space 
collaboration.

On the other hand, I've written a book that millions of people have used 
to get onto the 'Net, I've been in several PBS shows that teach people 
about the Internet, I've been a board member of and published the online 
newsletter for the largest grass roots anti-spam organization in the 
world, I've testifed in front of the US Senate about spyware legislation 
and in front of the FTC on spam legislation, participated in the 
broad-based international Anti-Spyware Coalition, I've been a member of 
Industry Canada's multi stakeholder anti-spam taskforce, and I've spent 
over a year on the ALAC observing ICANN's processes and lack thereof up 
close.  (In case you were wondering, this is all paid for out of my own 
pocket, other than sometimes getting travel reimbursed, and Industry 
Canada paying me a little bit to write and edit part of a report.)

None of this needed a RALO.  Indeed, a RALO wouldn't have made a bit of 
difference to any of it.

I also know enough of the history of ICANN and the people involved in that 
history to know about the dreams of expansive user organizations, all of 
which went nowhere for the reasons I've been telling you about.  None of 
this is a secret; anyone interested in ICANN and Internet governance 
should be familiar with it to avoid going down the same unproductive paths 
that lead to predictable failure.

Take a look at http://www.icannatlarge.com, which has been gathering dust 
for the past five years.  If you believe that a comprehensive Internet 
user organization is a good idea, here it is, already in existence, ready 
to go, with a membership including a thousand people who care deeply about 
ICANN and the Internet, and a modest amount of money in the bank, lacking 
only leadership with unlimited time and energy to devote to it.  What 
would your big picture NARALO be that icannatlarge isn't?  Why don't you 
work with icannatlarge now?

R's,
John