Scott and all,
I will take a first cut at some problems that seem to be fairly glaring
in this cut at a PSO. (See below for more details)
Scott Bradner wrote:
> here is a cut at an ICANN-based PSO
>
> comments?
>
> Scott
>
> -----
>
> DRAFT --- DRAFT --- DRAFT --- DRAFT --- DRAFT --- DRAFT
>
> April 2 1999
>
> Protocol Supporting Organization
>
> 1. Definition of the PSO.
>
> a. The Protocol Support Organization (PSO) will be a consensus-
> based advisory body within ICANN
Question: How will a consensus be determined and documented?
>
>
> b. The PSO will have two components, a "Protocol Council" which
> hosts a "General Assembly" (described below).
>
> 2. Agreements regarding the PSO are to be reflected in a
> Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) among ICANN, IETF and other
> open international Internet standards development organizations
> (SDOs). SDOs must satisfy a set of basic requirements before
> they can be considered for membership. (see Appendix A)
>
> The initial signatories of the MOU are expected to be ICANN,
> IETF and W3C. All existing signatories must agree to the
> admission of new signatories.
How an where do other signatories fit into this determination?
Whom makes this determination as to other signatories?
What are the ground rules for doing so?
>
>
> 3. The Protocol Council
>
> a. Members. The Protocol Council will have up to [12] individual
> members selected by the General Assembly. (see below)
Selected? Shouldn't this read Elected? If not it should in order to comply
with the White Paper.
>
>
> b. Term. The term of Protocol Council members will be 2 years.
> Removal will be pursuant to procedures established by the
> Protocol Council. (Initial terms of 1 and 2 years to provide
> initial conditions for staggered terms.)
What are the terms of removal? How or those terms determined?
Comment: Allot missing here...
>
>
> 4. Powers/Duties of the Protocol Council.
>
> a. ICANN Directors. The Protocol Council will nominate 3
> Directors to the ICANN Board (By-laws, Art. V, Sec. 4(iii)).
What is the nomination method? Who elects these nominees?
Comment: Again allot missing here as well... Much more granularity
is needed here...
>
>
> The initial directors would have terms of 1, 2 and 3 years
> (By-laws, Art. V, Sec. 9(d)
>
> No more than 2 Directors may come from the same Geographic
> Region (requires an amendment to New Art. VI, Sec. 2(a) of the
> By-laws, which provides that all 3 Directors must come from
> different geographic regions
>
> The Directors appointed by the Protocol Council will not
> "represent" the PSO on the Board, but will function as full
> Directors of ICANN. (By-laws, Art. V, Sec. 8)
>
> The Protocol Council will conduct an open call for nominations
> for any open PSO seats on the ICANN board. Each SDO signatory
> to the MOU is entitled to nominate candidates by procedures
> of its own choosing. Additionally, nominations from the public
> at large should be allowed under conditions to be defined
> by the Protocol Council.
How are these "Procedures determined?
>
>
> The Protocol Council will select the PSO nominees to the ICANN
> board from among these nominees by a means of its own choosing.
>
> b. Advisory Role. The Protocol Council will advise the Board of
> ICANN on matters referred to the Protocol Council by the
> ICANN Board. As per the ICANN By-laws, only maters relating
> to the assignment of parameters for Internet protocols would be
> so referred.
>
> c. Policy Development. The ICANN By-laws vest in the Protocol
> Council the primary responsibility for developing and
> recommending substantive policies in the area of protocol
> parameter assignment. Since the specific policies for
> parameter assignments for particular protocols are the
> responsibility of the individual SDO that developed the
> protocol, the Protocol Council will only have the
> responsibility to develop policies and procedures for
> conflict resolution between SDOs if the need arises for
> such procedures. (By-laws, New Art. VI, Sec. 2(b)).
>
> In the tradition of the Internet, conflict resolution
> mechanisms that involve the involved parties working things out
> themselves will be favored over third-part intervention.
This would be in stark disagreement with the White Paper.
>
>
> d. General Assembly. The Protocol Council will periodically host
> an open forum ("General Assembly") for promoting discussion and
> receiving input regarding the work of the PSO.
>
> A General Assembly will be held at least once per year, and
> will permit open participation by all interested individuals.
Not broad enough and relegates the General assembly to basically
a bunch of gad flies... Much work is needed here in order to
meet the requirements of the White Paper.
>
>
> 5. Selection of Protocol Council Members.
>
> Prior to the General Assembly, the Protocol Council
> shall make an open call for nominations to the upcoming
> vacancies in the Protocol Council. Each SDO signatory to the
> PSO MOU will be entitled to make nominations for some or all of
> the vacant seats by a procedure of its own choosing. In the
> event that there are more nominees than vacancies, an election
> will be held in which each SDO signatory to the PSO MOU has
> equal votes. The consensus of the General Assembly will be
> sought for the resulting slate.
Not enough granularity given here as to the necessary role of the GA
in determining by VOTE from the beginning the Protocol members
and additional Directors as required in the WHite Paper...
>
>
> Protocol Council Members should fairly represent,
> to the extent reasonable, all constituencies within the member
> SDOs, including the major technical areas (applications, Internet,
> routing, security, transport, etc.), and geographical regions.
Any constituencies are a bad idea to be defined within any SO.
>
>
> ICANN will ratify all selections made in accordance with the
> MOU.
>
> d. General Assembly.
>
> To save money the General Assembly would meet annually on
> Friday afternoon at a general IETF meeting (with an effort to
> hold no 2 consecutive meetings in the same geographic region.
>
> It is expected that the major SDOs within the Internet protocol
> standards development community will provide the constituency
> of the General Assembly.
>
> 6. Review of MOU.
>
> The MOU can be reviewed on an annual basis by ICANN, the
> Protocol Council, IETF and other signatories.
>
> If it is determined that the mechanisms provided in the MOU
> no longer reflect the goals and best interests of ICANN and the
> protocols community, it will be renegotiated to achieve such
> purposes.
>
> 7. Recognition. ICANN will officially "recognize" the Protocol
> Council and General Assembly described in the MOU as the PSO
> under the ICANN By-laws.
>
> Appendix A - requirements for consideration as a PSO-qualified SDO
>
> SDOs must be open, international, voluntary technical standard
> and technical specification development organizations which:
>
> 1) Develop standards and/or specifications for inter-
> organizational use over the Internet.
>
> 2) Can demonstrate active membership in the IP-related
> standards and/or specification development process of
> more than 1000 individuals, if individual memberships are
> used by the organization, or 100 companies, if corporate
> memberships are used by the organization.
THis needs much more flushing out and granularity added
>
>
> 3) Has been in operation for 3 or more years.
>
> 4) Can demonstrate that there is significant deployment of
> its standards on the Internet.
>
> 5) Makes its resulting standards and/or specifications
> individually available for free or for a small processing
> fee via the Internet.
This won't fly for commercial entities/individules
>
>
> Open international voluntary standards bodies are defined as
> private sector international organizations that plan,
> develop, establish, or coordinate voluntary standards.
>
> An organization shall be considered open and international
> if its standards and/or specifications development process is
> open to any person or organization of any nationality on
> equitable terms. It shall be considered voluntary if it makes
> no claim to compel use of its standards and specifications.
Regards,
--
Jeffrey A. Williams
CEO/DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Contact Number: 972-447-1894
Address: 5 East Kirkwood Blvd. Grapevine Texas 75208
