This is a message for anyone concerned with the DNSO, which I guess includes just about everyone on these lists. Judging by the postings, everyone's pretty concerned with the process of the the DNSO.org, the schedule recently posted by Amadeu, and the deadlines. I'm going to put in my own two cents about all this, because I have a distinct perspective from what's been posted so far. I think my perspective is worth considering since I have a foot in all camps, so to speak. I believe that the decisive negotiation, on which the final draft sugmitted to ICANN will depend, will be the January 22 meeting in Washington that John Englund is organizing. That meeting will bring together most of the present contingents, including the DNSO.org, the INTA, probably some groups like DNRC, and hopefully the ORSC and others as well. The fact that it will be held in Washington is significant. There can easily be present observers from the U.S. Government. The NTIA will know about it, as will ICANN and the House Committees overseeing all this. If Jon Englund doesn't inform them, I will myself. And I'm going to plead that the House Committees send observers. If the ICANN's smart, they'll send observers, too. Observers are useful, they keep people on the straight and narrow. The February 5th deadline is a fantasy. There will be no coherent proposal for an ASO, and the IETF's proposal for the PSO hasn't been ratified and so far is the work of one man, Scott Braden. Without the adherence of at least some of the other protocol organizations, minimally the ITU and the ISO, the IETF proposal, even if completed and ratified by the IETF in time for February 5th, can't be accepted. That's clear, and the IETF knows it. So february 5th or no February 5th, this whole thing isn't approaching its conclusion by a longshot. On the other hand, the DNSO formation is approaching a critical phase, because the different and opposing contingents are finally putting their cards on the table, and because there are forums for debating their proposals and finding compromises. The inclusion of the European, Asian, South American and other DNS interests in the DNSO.org is primarily responsible for this progress, IMHO. Their presence creates a forum for debate and progress. That's the special favor that the DNSO.org has bestowed on this process. Anyway, this month will see a lot of decisions being made, and I think that a big part of that work will be done in Washington on the 22nd, with the Harvard meeting on the 23rd as a backup for reflection and consolidation. That's the way it's shaping up. The DNSO.org may itself hold another meeting this month or early next; in my opinion it'll have to, unless the Washington meeting can find a compromise between the trademarks people and all the interests that are behind new gTLDs, which isn't likely. So that work will go on. But a lot of things will be straightened out in Washington, like maybe whether there will be new gTLDs, whether the INTA is going to be allowed to exclude the users from the DNSO and set up a corporate state for the Internet, whether the ccTLD registries will have more power than the registrars and ISPs, etc. Maybe not finalized, but set on a course. That's my idea of the agenda for the next few hectic weeks. You can take it for what it's worth. __________________________________________________ To receive the digest version instead, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To SUBSCRIBE forward this message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNSUBSCRIBE, forward this message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Problems/suggestions regarding this list? Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] ___END____________________________________________
