Yes, you are right, I didn't understand your first message.I think we are saying
the same thing, actually. That the current plan for the ICANN Board members
to group the world into five regions for organization in virtual space and then to
assign each country to one of these five regions seems a bit arbitrary ... in other
words, there is little discussion surrounding the issue and it seems to be taken
for granted that the plan is a good one.
Where did these 5 regional categories
come from? Who chose them? Who made them in the first place? That
was one of my points in the two other messages I wrote. It is my thought that
these regional categories were created through certain power relationships that existed
between cultures a few centuries ago when the "nation-state" system first took formation.
Therefore, these regional classifications are loaded - still - with the power dynamics
of the nation-state system ... therefore my question is: are we just going
to transfer that so easily into virtual space???
And then moving beyond
the regional classifications ... next ICANN wants to designate where each country
goes. This is a mighty important action that could help determine the fate
of these countries in the emerging virtual space and it seems risky for only 18 people
to make this decision. I totally agree: an alpha version of (1)regional
classifications, (2)justification for regional classifications, (3)country-to-region
classifications, and (4)justification for country-to-region classifications needs
to be published for the public to see, discuss, and agree on.
ICANN wouldn't like
this because it slows down their process. But the space of the Internet will
likely become a primary *political* space for the world's people quite soon ... and
there will certainly be divisions and hierarchies established in virtual space (just
like in real space) according to the "location" that a domain name assigns a country.
So
I completely agree with you ... an alpha version is needed. Those 4 points
above are needed for the public to see and discuss.