Jothan Frakes personal comments on DAGv4

[Jothan Frakes <jothan@xxxxxxxxx>]

Thank you for the opportunity to comment.

I write in a personal capacity as I am not at the present moment an
employee of any company in this industry.  This is largely due to the
perpetual delays in the new TLD process have placed me into that
position.

I have 15 years in the domain name industry, in nearly every role and
facet available within it.  It is a good industry, one I am proud to
participate in, and one I have worked very hard to earn respect within
this community.

Like many in this industry, my livelihood is tied to the timely
release of and predictable schedule of a new TLD process.  I know and
understand it from nearly every angle.

Focusing on commenting upon DAGv,4    I have some simple things that I
hope to see:

A] That there never be a Draft Applicant Guidebook v5., but rather the
Applicant Guidebook in its final form.

B] The Applicant Guidebook in its final form comes no later than the
end of 2010 and the application window and communication / outreach
completed by Summer 2011.

C] That the issue of Morality and Public Order (MAPO, MOPO, MOFO or
whatever the new acronym) or any other issues be firewalled from
creating further delays.

D] That a schedule be provided which clearly delineates what will
happen and when over the course of the next 18-24 months as it relates
to the new TLD program.

I see ICANN not only as the Board of Directors and Staff, but as the
community who participates in a bottom-up process.

In the interests of getting things done and taking time to do them
right, I like many volunteered my time and experience to the ICANN
process.

I was a participant in many of the working groups that are assembled
to attempt to provide input on the path forward. From my volunteer
efforts and time invested, it is clear to me that there will not come
a time when the process will have every nit issue resolved nor a
pristine, one size fits all solution for new TLDs.

Though many of the efforts of these working groups have helped to chip
away at the edges of hypothetical scenarios, I believe that we’ve
arrived at the part of the process that requires a way forward.

It seems to me that the path forward is one where those in a position
of leadership follow through on their commitments made to that public
community of stakeholders.

The four points A-D above are painfully simple, or can be.

I’d appreciate not looking back with another 15 years perspective and
see that we’re still in a circular motion with no forward momentum.

Please get on with it.

Thank you

-Jothan
Jothan Frakes
+1.206-355-0230 tel
+1.206-201-6881 fax