A reminder to the ICANN Board...

[Karl Auerbach <karl@CaveBear.com>]

We would like to remind the ICANN board of the following:

 1. They are an interim/initial body.  They were not appointed for any
    purpose except to develop the structure of the corporation.

    It is not proper for the interim/initial board to adopt substantive
    policies or to tie the hands of the subsequent board by entering into
    long term contracts.

    In particular, it is not proper for this board to adopt policies that
    exclude, probably forever, the participation of individuals from the
    Supporting Organizations, or to adopt policies amounting to nothing
    less than a commercially biased, supranational law of trademark and
    domain names.

    Substantive and effectively irreversible decisions such as these are
    the province of the permanent board, a board that would include members
    elected by the general membership.

2. ICANN is obligated by its organic documents to operate in an open,
   transparent, and accountable manner.

   Closed board meetings are neither open nor transparent.  Such
   meetings utterly vitiate the concept of accountability.

   ICANN should never again hold a closed board meeting except when it can
   demonstrate that the subject being discussed pertains to personnel
   issues.

   Any board member who feels that he or she can not conduct business in
   the open, who is not willing to take public responsibility for his or
   her decisions should step down so that someone who is able to fulfill
   ICANN's fundamental obligations of open, transparent, and accountable
   operation can take the seat.


	Karl Auerbach <karl@cavebear.com>
	Ellen Rony <erony@marin.k12.ca.us>
	Mikki Barry <ooblick@netpolicy.com>
	Dan Steinberg <dstein@travel-net.com>
	Chris Wellens <chrisw@iwl.com>
	David J. Steele <david@fibertron.com>
	Wes Monroe <wwm@cph.com>
	Richard J. Sexton <richard@sexton.com>
	Tressa Kirby
	Patrick Greenwell <patrick@cybernothing.org>
	David Schutt <david@speco.com>
	Eric Weisberg <weisberg@texoma.net>
	Joop Teernstra <terastra@terabytz.co.nz>
	Jay Fenello <Jay@Iperdome.com>
	Gordon Cook <cook@netaxs.com>
	InterWorkingLabs, Inc.
	Image Online Design, Inc.
	Personal Domain Name Holders Association (PDNHA)
	Democratic Association of Domain Name Owners
	Domain Name Rights Coalition (DNRC)