I have been involved in DNS issues since the beginning. I ran one of the e-mail lists about adding new TLDs to the root in 1996. I have tried to inform those with legal backgrounds about the technical issues at hand. I wrote an early Shared Registry System to show it a viable concept. I have run two BOFs in the IETF one NEWDOM, which looked at the issues on adding new TLDs the another called CORE-Data, both were before ICANN and the white/green papers existed.

I helped ICANN registrars through the testbed and have helped many other registrars with technical and administrative areas. I have worked with many registrars, however my views and positions are my own and not those of any that have employed me in the past.

An ICANN-Staffer told me

"You'll be on the BoD one day rick, youre just too young! Just wait 10 years."

For those that think older is better:

I am 32 years old, wrote my first text on networking in 1990 and learned my 5th computer language 'C' at the age of 16. I have a BS in MIS from Auburn University; Auburn, AL

• Employment and consulting relationships
  Companies that I have contracted with.
  • CORE and its various Member Companies.
  • NameSecure
  • TuCows
  • PSI-Japan
  • DomainBank
  • iDirections/NameZero
  • Catalog.com
  • NamesDirect
  • Nominum/ISC
• Ownership or investment interests in any ICANN-related businesses Alice's Registry - Pending Accreditation
  Alice's Registry is dedicated to using its profits for community development, both Internet and local communities.
• Official positions in any ICANN-related businesses or organization Alice's Registry, Inc. - currently unaccredited

To view my personal history with ICANN and its predecessors see this.

If elected to the Board of Directors I will work to see that all policy work extends a welcome hand to volunteers and interested parties to permit a maximum of participation. Where services are concerned, such as the At-Large registrations, I will encourage a volunteer effort rather than having the project run solely by staff or a for-profit agency.

I will encourage ICANN to only deal with Technical and Administrative issues relating to Internet Names and Numbers. I will encourage ICANN to have a nominal budget for meeting the needs of its member organizations. I want to keep ICANN as focused on its job and not on how important it or the world thinks it is.

I will strive to participate in mailing lists related to ICANN oversight or Support Organization issues and lend what personal perspective do the discussions at hand. I will strive to make myself generally accessible.

I will use my best judgment to vote on issues that promote the growth and stability of the Internet.

Where applicable I will espouse my personal views on the merits of security and freedom of expression.

--ICANN isn't just about DNS--

I also have experience with the PSO I have worked on several working groups and have a current Internet-Draft on a format for Data-Escrow and standard whois output in XML see ftp://ftp.ietf.org/internet-drafts/draft-wesson-whois-export-01.txt

I have experience with the ASO in obtaining IP Address blocks and AS Identifiers from ARIN and ASO Member. I have written provisioning systems for configuration and management of Routers and IP Address delegations and Automated SWIP processing. I have a basic understanding of the ASO Members obligatitions and issues related to Internet Addresses.

It should be noted that I have the most to loose by being elected to the Board, If elected I won't consult to Registrars for a fee and I will drop my personal involvement in all Registrar Businesses. If elected I will need to find a new job.

I am not a member of, nor an official of, a national government or a multinational entity established by treaty or other agreement between national governments.