ICANN's Time Is Up, According To John Gilmore

EyesWideOpen writes: "Salon has a lengthy interview with Cygnus Software co-founder John Gilmore about why he feels it's time for ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, to go. Gilmore, along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is currently helping to fund a lawsuit filed by ICANN director Karl Auerbach against ICANN. ICANN has denied Gilmore access to its financial information, providing the basis for the lawsuit. Gilmore states: 'I believe it's because there is information in there about how ICANN has misused its money, and/or has favored people who lent or gave it money.'"

Comments

Read it and weep

[mumkin]

I shouldn't have to say this, but those of you reading comments without reading the article really should do yourselves a favor and follow that link. The fact that ICANN won't let its own director have access to the books is an incredible testament to both its star-chamber mentality and the incredibly fucked-up way in which it is constituted in the first place.

In addition, Gilmore has some particularly spooky things to say about the history of Network Solutions, and what he estimates the *real cost* of maintaining a domain's registration to be (less than 1 cent/year).

Gilmore's letter to ICANN director Cerf

[q[alex]]

Damn... Every time I run into something that John Gilmore has done I get this shivery feeling down the back of my neck. Here's a guy who has just got it all figured out, way ahead of the rest of us... or at least way ahead of me.

Err, but yeah. The reason I'm posting is because anyone who hasn't read Gilmore's letter to Vint Cerf really should... it's intelligent, funny and scathing. It's at http://www.icannwatch.org/article.php?sid=763 and it's brilliant.

Re:Gilmore's letter to ICANN director Cerf

[jrest]

Some tidbit of information that I didn't know about: Vint Cerf happens to have some STRONG ties to another mayor news-item: WorldCom: WorldCom: Resources: Cerf's Up (Check out the date on this piece) Since I didn't know this, I guess other people might not know it either.

Corporate Governance Issue

[Slashamatic]

One of the things that is being kicked around with Enron/Worldcom/Xerox is that the board jointly and severally carries the responsibility for correct corporate governance. Well this for the "for-profit" companies. This means that the board is entitled to make enquires as to whether information being presented to them for approval (such as the balance sheet) is correct. What about non-profits? This question was posed before, but nobody seems to know about the specifics of California non-profits.

Actually, it sounds very similar to the shenanigans at FIFA where the CFO went up against the CEO on the basis of some very dodgy payments and accounting practices that he had authorised. The CFO was forced to resign, alledgedly through the use of bought influence (In FIFA, Tonga has the same number of votes as Germany).

Lets just forget that it is the Internet and just look at other organisations involved in coordinating things internationally. I mentioned FIFA, we also know about the Olympics committee. Other organisations closer to home, such as CCITT tend to be bureaucratic and inefficient but not particularly corrupt.

Is it possible to have a minimalist organisation that is cheap, efficient and honest that can manage something like the Internet?

ICANN't, Can you?

Benevolent Dictatorship

[nfras]

In Australia we used to have the benevolent dictatorship of Robert Elz. He was the instigator of the .au domain until he was thrown out by the ICANN lap dog that is auDA. There was a huge amount of negative press about his 'unnaccountability' and the 'arrogant' way he dealt with people. There were press stories that if he refused to give up the name then they would have to force him via the courts. Throughout this Robert kept a dignified silence. When he released the name to auDA ICANN released this statement

"Whereas Robert Elz has devoted over 15 years of selfless and dedicated service to the global Internet community as the registry founder and operator of .au.
Resolved that the ICANN Board on behalf of the global Internet community extends its deepest thanks to Robert Elz for his profound
countributions to the evolution and stable performance of the global Internet."

We are like dwarfs on the shoulders of giants

Re:Hm

[clickety6]

Just like Enron's and Worldcom's financial statements were published for everyone to see? ;-)

Vint Cerf's view: live on Thursday 2:30pm CET

[scrm]

Want to hear the other side of the ICANN story? Vint Cerf will be attending a round-table conference in my home country of Luxembourg on Thursday July 4 at 2:30pm CET (time zone convertor here) (it's just down the road from me, but I won't be able to attend to put questions to him, gotta work!). A live webcast will be available here, so tune in then. Check out the conference info page for some good links and background on Cerf.