I agree that the variable is punitive. However, there is, IMO, a wider aspect
as well. There are many ccTLDs that have miniscule budgets, especially developing
countries. What should they have to pay for maintenance of 3 lines of code?I
also feel that the actual cost of maintaining the root is not terribly expensive
overall and that ICANN could begin by streamlining its bloated organizational chart.
Until they have acted responsibly, elected a proper board and gained the confidence
of the net's users, I would hesitate to want to fund them. A half a million
dollars in legal fees for a quarter is outrageous and would not be necessary if ICANN
was acting as it should.
Cost recovery is a nice term. However, in this case,
it's a nice way to fill the pockets of people who are being overpaid and an organization
that is growing faster than the US government. Why should the world pay for
it and be ruled by it with little or no voice in its decision making?