Re: [soac-newgtldapsup-wg] Updated 2.15.3 - for Tuesday 12 Oct 10 mtg. Re: [] Revision 2.15 -

[Eric Brunner-Williams <ebw@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

All,

I think we're dealing with two disjoint issues:

1. recognizing that some applications must, to avoid harm to plural 
societies, put into operation two or more strings, possibly in 
different scripts.
This is simply a repeat of the experience of the IANA root operator, 
which has recently added scripts other than Latin, and now is 
developing policy for pluralities extending the Latin and one 
non-Latin script model.
2. recognizing that only some communities are aware of, or attach 
credence, or importance to the possibility that their language and 
script may be added to the IANA root.
In the first case the "bundle" of labels which are necessary and 
sufficient to avoid harm to a plural society allows ICANN, should it 
accept our recommendation, the best available means to extend the 
domain name system to the next billion users without actively 
discouraging through pricing the diversity of each plural society.
In the second case the pricing incentive is intended to cause 
non-qualified applicants to commit their reduced fee resources to a 
language and script for which no other application exists.
A problem with this approach is that the design of the application 
process conceals all applications until after the application window 
is closed.
The use case here are communities which are not primarily 
linguistically plural, but are politically plural, and dysfunctional 
as linguistic communities, and possible as political entities as well. 
The example we've used is Amharic (Unicode 1200–137F), the second 
largest Semitic language, after Arabic, though bundling Amharic with 
Arabic and Latin for an African regional application will meet the 
underlying rational without recourse to a non-qualified applicant.
In principle the discussion is useful, but given the Board's choice 
concerning fees, operationally moot. We have to look elsewhere for any 
assistance to applicants.
Regrets for today's call, today is a travel day for me.

Eric