ICANNWatch.org

[j nesbitt <jn_nesbitt@yahoo.com>]

This website is something all followers of the debate should look at:
http://www.icannwatch.org

                       
                          >>Edited by David Post, Michael Froomkin and
Dave Farber, ICANN Watch will
                          >>serve as a forum for understandingof, and
informed debate about,
                          >>ICANN's role in managing the Domain Name
System.
                          >>
                          >>Reorganization of the Domain Name System,
far from being an arcane
                          >>technical detail of Internet engineering,
is a pivotal event in the
                          >>history of the Internet.
                          >>
                          >>Whoever controls the DNS will be subject to
immense pressure to stray
                          >>far beyond any limited technical functions
because the domain name
                          >>system is the one place where enforceable
global Internet policy can be
                          >>promulgated without any of the messy
enforcement and jurisdictional
                          >>problems that bedevil ordinary law-making
exercises on the Net.
                          >>Businesses, which now realize the huge
economic stake they have in this
                          >>medium, and governments, which have spent
the last few years worrying
                          >>about how they would ever get back their
taxing and  regulatory
                          >>authority over Internet transactions, will
view ICANN as the means to
                          >>impose their particular vision on Internet
users worldwide.
                          >>
                          >>With so much at stake, how can we be
assured that ICANN will be able to
                          >>resist the pressure that will be brought to
bear upon it? Where are the
                          >>checks on the new corporation's exercise of
its powers? How can all of
                          >>those with a stake in the Internet's future
i.e., all of us -- be
                          >>assured that ICANN will exercise its powers
in the best interests of
                          >>the Internet community as a whole, rather
than on behalf of one
                          >>particular faction or another?
                          >>
                          >>ICANN Watch will serve as a forum for
understanding and informed debate
                          >>about the implications of ICANN's
activities. We have no particular
                          >>viewpoint to push or axes to grind; we will
offer commentary and
                          >>criticism from a wide variety of different
perspectives, guided only by
                          >>our belief in the power of ideas and
informed discussion and debate to
                          >>shape events and institutions.
                          >>
                          >>We hope you'll check it out.
                          >>
                          >>David Post
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