ICANN/Verisign agreements comments period

[Steven Forrest <free2innovate@xxxxxxxxx>]

 Bruce Tonkin of Melbourne IT has <a href="
http://www.gnso.icann.org/mailing-lists/archives/registrars/msg03502.html";><b>requested</b></a>
that ICANN extend the public comment period for people to comment on the
proposed ICANN-Verisign lawsuit settlement agreements His request is getting
a lot of support from other registrars, and it's a reasonable request given
that the agreements are lengthy, complex and of substantial impact.

 However, registrars and the Internet community ought to be asking for more
than just more time to review and comment on the agreement - they ought to
be asking for an orderly and specific procedure for the whole
comment/approval process for the agreements.

 One of the problems that plagues ICANN from time to times is that its
processes are, well, confusing. At first blush, it looks like an orderly
process - post the documents, call for comment, accept comments, then move
forward - but the process is chaotic at best. There lack of a clear process
around the comments process is ripe for adding confusion to a discussion
that needs clarity.

 The ICANN/Verisign agreements represent a major opportunity to bring some
much-needed clarity to the scope of ICANN's responsibilities and authority,
and to how ICANN interacts with companies that are deploying new technical
and business-model innovations for the web to ensure the network's continued
stability while not overly hampering the deployment of new products and
services. The agreements will, for the first time, give innovators a clear
understanding of just exactly how they go about deploying such new services.

 ICANN needs that same kind of clarity in its comments-process.
 Steven Forrest
Free2Innovate.net