Stability and Sitefinder

["Bret Fausett" <bfausett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear ICANN and Telecordia,

 

This e-mail message is in response to the Telecordia report and for
consideration in the review process now underway. This e-mail message is
sent in my personal capacity as a long-time ICANN observer and not on behalf
of the At Large Advisory Committee, the GNSO, or any bidder. 

 

I am surprised that the Telecordia report did not include any discussion of
Verisign Registry's adoption and implementation of Sitefinder, IDNs,
ConsoliDate, and other stability-related issues raised by ICANN under the
current .NET registry agreement. A significant discussion of ICANN's
contentions regarding Verisign's failure to perform under the current .NET
contract can be found here:
http://www.icann.org/legal/verisign-v-icann/vs-netArbitReq-15jan05.PDF. In
short, ICANN contends that a variety of new registry services, notably
including "Sitefinder," have disrupted the stable operation of the .NET
registry. See additional links from this page:
http://www.icann.org/general/litigation-verisign.htm. 

 

Just last year, ICANN's Security and Stability Advisory Committee issued a
significant report evaluating the effect of "Sitefinder" on the security and
stability of the Internet. See,
http://www.icann.org/committees/security/ssac-report-09jul04.pdf.
Specifically, the Committee found that Verisign's unilateral implementation
of a new registry service "violated fundamental architectural principles and
well-established codes of conduct and good practices intended to ensure
stability." See additional links from this page: http://ssac.icann.org/. 

 

What particularly puzzles me about the Telecordia report is that it is
silent on what has been a significant issue for ICANN and the ICANN
community. These issues were raised both before the RFP was released and
after the bids were submitted. See, e.g., links referenced here:
http://forum.icann.org/mail-archive/alac/msg00996.html. 

 

Specifically, Telecordia should have reviewed "Sitefinder" and the other
services that ICANN contends have created stability concerns under the
following sections of the RFP: Section 1 ("ICANN Policy Compliance");
Section 3 ("Registry Operations"); and, Section 6 ("Security and
Stability"). 

 

Even if Telecordia and/or ICANN finds that "Sitefinder" and the related
registry services are either not relevant to the RFP process or not material
to the outcome, the final Telecordia report at least should discuss the
issues raised by these services, as linked above.

 

Thank you for your consideration,

 

Bret Fausett