[Re-post]CPSR Response to IANA-NSI Proposal

["Hans K. Klein" <hans.klein@pubpolicy.gatech.edu>]

[The original post went only to a limited list, so here is a re-post.  I
apologize for any double mailing you may receive.  -HK]

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                   DRAFT STATEMENT OF
   COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
           (CPSR DNS WORKING GROUP) ON THE
               JOINT IANA AND NSI BYLAWS 
            FOR THE NEW INTERNET CORPORATION
==========================================================

CPSR has received the detailed proposals for bylaws and articles proposed by
IANA and NSI for a new Internet Corporation.  ("Joint IANA and NSI ByLaws
for the New Internet Corporation," 17 Sep 1998, 12:54 PM, Jon Postel).  The
following comments reflect the draft position of CPSR dedicated working
group for the DNS issues ("CPSR-DNS").

CPSR-DNS respectfully expresses is disagreement with the procedural approach
proposed by IANA-NSI.  In particular, CPSR-DNS must disagree with the
following statement in the "Brief Explanation" that accompanied the announcment:

"Any ... suggestion [by other stakeholders about the joint proposal] MUST
... BE RECEIVED within the NEXT DAY OR TWO and should be very specific text
changes, NOT SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT CONCEPTS..." (capitalization added.)

Our concern stems from the following points:

1. "MUST BE RECEIVED": as two stakeholders (albeit important ones) among
many, IANA-NSI ought to avoid imposing time limits on the stakeholder
process.  If this is their private document, they need not seek any input,
but if this is a public proposal then they ought not seek to end debate.

2. "NEXT DAY OR TWO": Such a short deadline is unfeasible for such a
technical legal document. Furthermore, since the proposal was distributed on
a Thursday afternoon, the "next day or two" is not even two working days.
Moreover, there is no Email address to which to send comments.  Stakeholders
will certainly use more than two days to review and formulate comments on
this complex proposal.

3. "NOT SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT CONCEPTS": CPSR-DNS appreciates
stakeholders' desire to make closure on the process and to see their
proposals advance without substantial conceptual change.  However, CPSR-DNS
cannot a priori accede to this request.

The CPSR DNS working group will use the next week to review the IANA-NSI
proposal and to make more detailed comments.  We will propose such input as
we see necessary, which could include new concepts and language. We assume
that many other stakeholders in addition to CPSR-DNS, IANA, and NSI will
also offer substantial comments in the coming days or weeks.

CPSR-DNS appreciates the IANA-NSI input and emphasizes that its comments
here are strictly procedural and do not reflect on the substance of the
proposal.  We have not had sufficient time to prepare substantive comments,
but we expect to in the next week.


=======================================================
Hans K. Klein
Southern Regional Director
Computer Professionals for Social Responsbility
Chair, CPSR Georgia
hans.klein@pubpolicy.gatech.edu
========================================================