Question: When the transition of duties from IANA to ICANN takes place, what new challenges do you see ICANN facing and how do you envision ICANN evolving to take on these new, additional roles?

Nominee Replies

Emerson Tiller, J.D., Ph.D. - posted on 2000-09-29 18:55:44 As ICANN takes on more roles, the central decision makers (the board) must see its role on a higher policy level (as opposed to technical). The higher level approach is needed to set common agendas among the different functions. If everything is technical detail, any coherence of style and principle will give way to the immediate demands of being practical and expedient. In the short term, the values of expediency and practicalness may appear attractive, but chaos will eventually result from the left hand not knowing what the right is doing. A higher level policy approach will be inevitable. Its best to admit that up front and design appropriate procedures to ensure that policy decisions are kept in check with the desires of the broader Internet community, not just those of the technical and intellectual property communities. Donald Langenberg - posted on 2000-09-24 11:07:21 See my answer to the previous question. New roles are inevitably accompanied by new challenges. All I can say is that they must be dealt with by ICANN's board and leadership with all the care and wisdom they can muster. Lawrence Lessig - posted on 2000-09-22 05:19:51 ICANN's challenge is to keep its ego in check, and policy making to a minimum. I don't think it should expand its roles until it has proven its responsibility within the domain it presently has.