I'm forwarding the following information from Bill Semitch, with his permission. I think the DNSO and ICANN would be well advised to do what Bill Semitch suggests, as an immediate and practical work to be organized and accomplished: study this and other well-functioning models, codify them as a set of principles and practical implementations, including channels of communication between governments, educational institutions, commercial organizations, etc., and put into the DNSO and ICANN bylaws working mechanisms for establishing cooperative, private administration of the ccTLDs and, perhaps more importantly, the gTLDs as well. This is what is needed and what ICANN was formed to do, and there's no time to lose in setting up committees of the DNSO and ICANN to do it.
Hello; The following press release, put out by the Internet Users Society - Niue (IUS-N) and .NU Domain Ltd today, is probably the first formal public statement by a ccTLD Administrator and Designee on its defined rights and obligations under RFC 1591 and how it is now managing and plans to continue to maintain those obligations: http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/990203/ma_nu_doma_1.html Note that the government of Niue is involved in the process as a supporter of and participant in the Internet services and systems - but the services are privately run and funded. And the direct, managing, participants (members of the IUS-N Council of Advisers mentioned in the press release) include the Director of Education (High School, Primary School and Adult Ed administrator), Director of the National Library, Director of the Niue Division of the University of the South Pacific, Director of Health Services, and a member of the Niue Chamber of Commerce. I think this public commitment and organizational structure established by the IUS-N could make an excellent starting point for ICANN's implementation of RFC 1591 as a responsible method for determining how TLD registries should be established and run. The key element here is the concept of managing TLDs and other high-level Internet systems as a "trust" for the Internet at large, and in involving the direct beneficiaries of the Internet in setting direction to the fullest extent. I also hope this helps in explaining the strong position taken by .NU Domain Ltd and the IUS-N in our support for continuation of RFC 1591, and for recognition of these established and ongoing governing principles in the bylaws/application of the DNSO. It is the status quo ante, and a pretty good one at that. Bill Semich (NIC JWS7) [EMAIL PROTECTED] .NU Domain (Niue)
