MarkMonitor Comment on Proposed ICANN meetings 2011-2013

[Frederick Felman <ffelman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

To: The ICANN Board, Management, Staff & Community:

With respect to the proposed meeting dates for ICANN 2011-2013, MarkMonitor
suggests a reduction in the number of face-to-face meetings.

Current, and, even ongoing economic issues make it difficult enough for
large companies and Internet related businesses to travel far-and-wide to
attend these meetings.  Though impractical for many larger companies, the
expense, frequency and distance render it impossible for smaller companies
and individuals representing the Internet community to participate in
person.  Also, because of time-zone coordination issues and frequently
conflicting agenda items, large numbers of the world¹s Internet users find
the meetings inaccessible.

Therefore, we propose:

- fewer face-to-face meetings (1-2 annually maximum) in far-flung places to
which travel to is economically impractical and environmentally unsound
- more ³virtual² meetings
- more effective remote/virtual participation tools
- efficient sequencing with respect to the content of the meetings (forcing
fewer virtual and actual attendees to choose one agenda over another)
- better coordination of time-zones, working and waking hours to encourage
greater participation of more virtual participants
- broader outreach by ICANN for meetng participation outside of the
?contracted-party¹ base

Respectfully submitted,

Frederick Felman
MarkMonitor

Related links: 

http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200907/msg0000
9.html and 
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/07/06/icann-club-med-for-geeks/