Re: [ifwp] Re: draft proposal for selection of board

[Jeff Williams <jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com>]

Jim and all,

Jim Dixon wrote:

> On Fri, 24 Jul 1998, Ellen Rony wrote:
>
> > >An incomplete draft proposal describing a mechanism for selecting the
> > >board of the new corporation proposed in the White Paper can be seen at
> > >
> > >        http://www.euroispa.org/papers/balanced.diversity.html
> >
> > It's certainly appropriate to suggest ways the board should represent both
> > geographic AND stakeholder diversity.  I'd like to add for the discussion a
> > very simplistic proposal.
> >
> > For a 15-member board:
> >
> > 5 members chosen to represent geographic diversity (Asia, Europe,
> > N.America, S. America, Eastern Europe).
>
> The problem with this 5+5+5 split is that doesn't give us any way to
> really represent the diversity that we see out there on the Net.  We
> have dozens or hundreds of different categories of interest to be
> served.  The only way to do this in a board of a reasonable size is
> to allow a given individual to represent more than one interest.

  Hummmm?  This is an interesting concept Jim.  How do you propose tocontend with conflict of
interest in you allow for one individual to represent
more than one interest?  Or is this really a problem? Why not let the Stakeholders
decide by referendum vote?

> So
> a lawyer from Singapore representing an ISP trade association isn't
> just counted as one Board member for Asia/Pacific, but also as someone
> endorsed by the Internet industry and someone with legal expertise.

  Endorsed by the Internet industry?  Who fits that category or criterion?  We
don't necessarily "Endorse" any individual presently, though there are those
in the Internet industry that we find forward thinking, but others might find
a little strange, and I am sure vise versa.  The notion of "Endorsed" seems to be a
rather ephemeral form where we are sitting.

> In this way we can take into consideration the real way in which
> individuals represent many different interests, and use this reality
> to get a good picture of the balance of the board.

  This is a fine notion, but how do you make that determination?  Who and under
what criterion do you make such a determination?

> > 5 members chosen to represent each of the councils, not necessarily council
> > members.  Currently IP Addresses, Protocols and Names Councils are proposed
> > but perhaps there also needs to be a Harmonization Council and a Security
> > Council. Since the board will have to deal with crossover issues, it seems
> > appropriate for each council to have a board member who is familiar with
> > that council's issues.
>
> I disagree.  While it may not be obvious from the outside, ISPs cannot
> be comfortable with an arrangement whereby the regional IP registries,
> who allocate to them IP address space which is absolutely essential to
> their business, at the same time claim to be representing them.

  Why not let the customers of those regional ISP's be that representation?

> While
> I believe that RIPE does an excellent job of allocating IP address
> space among the ISPs of Europe, I cannot help but fear that RIPE's
> impartiality would be seriously compromised if its role became more
> political.

  Agreed completely.  And this is why the nIANA's proposed bylaws are biased
in the extreme.  The same can be said for APNIC and ARIN for that matter.

>
>
> This is a literally ancient question.  Most of Europe and North America
> decided centuries ago that the making of policy should be clearly
> separated from the implementation of policy.  Legislatures pass laws
> that are then enforced by neutral bodies such as the police.

  Agreed.  And this is why our proposal for separation of powers in the structure
between the BOD, Committee's and Advisory councils is essential.  The BOD
should be the implimentors, while the Committee's with advise from the Advisory
Councils (IANA, IAB, IETF, ISOC, DNRC, ARIN, APNIC, RIPE, Ect.. and the
Stakeholders) should act as the policy making functionaries.

>
>
> > 5 members selected by the Internet community.  These are board members at
> > large.  I can't think of the voting mechanism or requirements for this
> > third, but this 5+5+5 makeup would meet the needs for geographic diversity,
> > for community input, and for issues representation.
> >
> > This approach still does not address the missing link--accountability of board.
>
> If we have members with the power to remove Board members, if the
> number of members is not unreasonably high, then we will have
> effective accountability.  Personally I think that what we need is
> some sort of membership model in which the number of member/owners
> is say 10x the number of Board members.  This can be done through
> some sort of indirect representation scheme.

  Indirect representation has some merit, but we must also not loose site for the
direct participation in some instances that the Stakeholders/Members should
be taking as a check and balance mechanism on the BOD, but more importantly.
the Councils/commitee's.  In other words, andy and all resolutions that any
committee's or Council should propose to the BOD should be voted upon by
the Stakeholders/members for final approval.  THis may require that a "Selection"
of proposals to handle a certain situation would be required.  But this should not be
a big problem in providing that "Selection" and than posting it on the respective
Web sites for voting to be done by the Stakeholders/members.

>
>
> --
> Jim Dixon                  VBCnet GB Ltd           http://www.vbc.net
> tel +44 117 929 1316                             fax +44 117 927 2015
>
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> ___END____________________________________________

 Regards,

--
Jeffrey A. Williams
DIR. Internet Network Eng/SR. Java/CORBA Development Eng.
Information Network Eng. Group. INEG. INC.
E-Mail jwkckid1@ix.netcom.com