Comment from Dot Scot Registry on the Proposed Final Applicant Guidebook

["Davie Hutchison (DSR)" <davie@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dot Scot Registry (DSR / dotSCOT) is a not-for-profit company that has been
established, with the endorsement of the Scottish Government, to bid for and
operate a new cultural and linguistic top level internet domain (clTLD) of
“.scot” for the benefit of the worldwide family of Scots.



While there are clearly frustrations about seemingly unending delays to the
new gTLD process we would like to thank the staff of ICANN for their ongoing
work in developing this 5th draft of the applicant guidebook. As this was
the ‘Proposed Final’ we had hoped that we were now entering the endgame of
this process, particularly as the date for the opening of the application
window was circulated.



Our fear is that there will now be further delay to the process and the
prospect of the Scots community being able to use .scot domains slips
further and further away. This campaign for the .scot TLD has been ongoing
for over 5 years and there are an increasing number in our community who are
becoming ever more frustrated that delays in a process that is remote to
them prevents them having a clear signifier on the web.



In the lead up to, and now during, the ICANN meeting in Cartagena there is a
sense that yet more delay is inevitable. During Cartagena we’ve heard from
ICANN that you were both ‘ready to go’ and that the applicant guidebook
would continue to change. If a single, rather than staged, application
window is being sought these two positions are mutually exclusive.



If, on the other hand, a staged process was to be entered into it may allow
less contentious bids, like .scot, to go forward and would also allow ICANN
to effectively test the process and carry out amendments as necessary for
the next round. This is far from a new idea. At the Sydney meeting Eric
Brunner-Williams outlined the ‘Step by Step’ initiative, more recently the
GAC sent a letter on September 23rd 2010 their view that there are "a number
of relatively straightforward, non-sensitive and uncontroversial gTLD
proposals – including community-based initiatives – which are being unduly
delayed as a result of wider operational and policy development issues that
do not directly concern or involve them". Additionally, many GAC
representatives have endorsed the view that there could be a small
application round for less contentious bids in just the last few days.



Our position is that we would like to have the opportunity to apply for and
ultimately operate the .scot registry as quickly as possible as we have a
community who have been waiting for an extended period of time. If a phased
process is the quickest way to achieve this aim then so be it. If it also
provides ICANN the opportunity to test the process to satisfy other
constituencies then all the better.



Thank you for the chance to provide this feedback.



Regards



Davie Hutchison

Director, Dot Scot Registry



dotSCOT.net

@dot_SCOT