Comments on DAG 3 from Dot Eco LLC

[Clark Landry <clarklandry@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dot Eco LLC, an initiative backed by the Sierra Club, Surfrider
Foundation  and Al Gore, would like to make the following comments to
ICANN on the Draft Applicant Guidebook 3.

First of all, our feeling is that the DAG process is, at this point,
close to complete. We see no reason for a fourth "Draft" applicant
guidebook. ICANN, as an organization, needs to finalize the rules and
move on. This is not to say that certain studies (such as the root
scaling study) may not needed prior to rollout -- but ICANN has been
given well over a year to assimilate the input of the community, and
the rules for applicants need to be finalized.

The second comment is that there has been a huge step backwards from
DAG2.5 to DAG3 concerning community scoring. With the new DAG3, many
very worthwhile community applications may simply go to auction. This
is, in our view, unfortunate. We urge ICANN to reconsider the latest
changes and to revert to the community scoring of the previous draft.

Overall, our feeling is that there is very little value in further
iteration on the DAG. Finalizing the rules for applicants in no way
jeopardizes the scalability of the internet or even commits the board
of ICANN to ultimately approve the new gTLD process.

Whatever, the rules are, we can live with them. ICANN needs to do its
job and make these rules final.