Question: How important is technical expertise to being an effective At Large member of the board? If you believe that specific expertise is important, what expertise is important and do you have it or how will you get it? If not why not?

Nominee Replies

Lyman Chapin - posted on 2000-10-10 12:50:30 I think that technical expertise is very important for the ICANN board, because someone who understands how the Internet (and its domain name system) actually works can distinguish between a sound argument and a red herring. ICANN needs technical, diplomatic, administrative, and legal expertise on its board. I have the first three, and would rely on other board members for the fourth. Lawrence Lessig - posted on 2000-10-09 20:33:37 Understanding the architecture and the protocols that govern it is crucial. I am not an expert in this, but it is something I have studied. Barbara Simons - posted on 2000-10-09 18:26:19 It is important to have access to expertise and to be able to understand the issues. This is true not only for technical issues, but also for the legal and social issues that arise within ICANN. No one is an expert in all the relevant areas, and the effective At Large Board members will reach out to experts in the community for assistance. Through my years of working on technology policy issues, I have met and worked with experts in all these areas. I have already approached several such people to request assistance if I am elected to the Board. Emerson Tiller, J.D., Ph.D. - posted on 2000-10-09 15:43:59 Technical experience can be helpful. But I would hope that the technical superiority of the technical supporting organizations within ICANN would be more than sufficient for the operation of ICANN. Legal and business skills could also be important. But I don't think a good at large director needs to be an expert in any of these areas. The at large director needs to understand the effects of the technology and policy decisions on the average internet using communities. Harris Miller - posted on 2000-10-09 11:36:13 I am not a technologist, and do not believe being one is essential to being a Board Member. If so, I would not have consented to being nominated. But I have access to expert technologists on techical questions. I am emphasizing in my candidacy my ability to build consensus, as evidenced in my running two major IT trade associations containing members with divergent views; my experience and background as a Board Member in various not-for-profit and for-profit organizations; my organizational/business acumen; and my global understanding of issues. Karl Auerbach - posted on 2000-10-09 08:59:30 Well, so far ICANN has not made a single technical decision. But technical knowledge is very important so that one can tell when the wool is being pulled over ICANN's eyes - as it is with respect to the issue of stability of the DNS. Clearly, ICANN itself believes that technical knowedge is unimportant - ICANN recently eliminated its Chief Technology Officer.