Re: [gnso-vi-feb10]

[Richard Tindal <richardtindal@xxxxxx>]

Roberto -- Could you explain in a little more detail what you mean by fast 
track new TLD introduction?

Richard


On Dec 3, 2010, at 5:44 PM, Roberto Gaetano wrote:

> The debate on new TLDs is warming up. Most probably, it is in view of the 
> ICANN meeting opening very soon, with the participants on their way to 
> Colombia.
> 
> This piece of information (see 
> http://forum.icann.org/lists/5gtld-guide/pdf4SSmb5oOd5.pdf) is, IMHO, one of 
> the heavy contributions that will determine the outcome of the meeting, and 
> the Board's decisions.
> 
> I have no intention to resurrect the WG, but let me remind that I was among 
> the ones who were skeptical about the way the discussion was closed by the 
> Board resolution, and feeling that we were failing to produce some minimum 
> results that the Board could claim as bottom up consensus to justify/support 
> its decisions.
> 
> My question is now on whether there will be a sort of "fast track" new TLD 
> introduction, while waiting for the full PDP development, that might at least 
> establish the principle (and test the marketplace) of a round of generic TLDs.
> 
> But the "real" question is to the people, if there were any in this WG, who 
> were positioning their contributions based on considerations of what would be 
> the "default" decision by the Board. If you are accepting a compromise you 
> can live with in a bottom up process, you might lose something, but you know 
> what you are losing, you have certitudes and stability for the business. If 
> you rely on the top down decisions of a body that has not received community 
> consensus records, you might think (hope?) that the decision will favour your 
> business, but the reality is that you do not know. The final decision, if it 
> is not based on (and supported by) a community consensus, will depend on 
> factors that are out of control, like influence of lobbying on a 
> multicultural Board, influence of different powers like Governments, the 
> changes in the Board composition at the moment a decision is taken, and so on.
> 
> I believe that business needs certitudes (disclaimer: IANABP - I Am Not A 
> Business Person), and unless you are absolutely sure you can control the 
> other factors that can (and will) influence the Board's decision, you might 
> be better off facing the devil of a compromise consensus you know rahter than 
> the devil of an unpredictable different outcome you do not know.
> 
> Best regards, 
> Roberto
> 
> (watching an ICANN meeting from the distance, for a change)
>