Some applicants still alive. Some applicants
dead in the water.For $50,000.00, applicants were only allowed 3 minutes to speak.
It appeared that most members of the ICANN board did not even read most applications,
if any. For instance, Vincent Cerf did not even know the application for Group
One Registry was for ".ONE". Mr. Cerf thought it was for ".1".
Most board members asked no questions of applications. Only 4 board members
asked questions. Most sat quietly, obviously just going through the motions.
I
really felt bad for most applicants. ICANN board members feel only they have
the insight as to what the internet needs. For instance, they shot down Diebold's
reasoning for .SECURE & .CASH. If ICANN board members can't see a demand
for a particular new TLD, then the applicant gets shown the door, and their 50 thou
is wasted.
Public individuals (including me) were allowed 1 minute each, to speak.
Most in the room felt the public forum (including applicant speaches)was merely
a formality, and the decision for new TLDs was a foregone conclusion.
However,
there were plenty of media present, and plenty of anti-ICANN sentiment.
There were
also plenty of lawyers present, circling, waiting, smelling blood.